CHAPTER 3 – UCSP

Biological Evolution
- Changes, modifications and variations in the genetics and inherited traits of biological
population from one generation to another.
- Scientist study the changes in the physical body of humans, the changes in the shape
and size of their bones, brain, dentition (arrangement of teeth) and fingers for instance,
changes in posture, movement, and development of bipedalism (ability to walk on two
legs in an upright position)
- Biological evolution is based on the theory of evolution introduced by English naturalist
and geologist, Charles Darwin.

Charles Darwin
- Concluded that each species was not created at the same time in a fixed form.
- Introduced the concept of evolution to explain the origin of modern humans in a book
entitled, “On the Origins of Species by Means and Natural Selection” (1859).
- He said that “Species are not immutable, but those belonging to what are called the
same genera are lineal descendants of some other and generally extinct species, in the
same manner as the acknowledged varieties of any one species.”
Genera – group of genus
Carolus Linnaeus – father of taxonomy
Taxonomy – branch of science that studies the classifications of organisms
= Genus
= Family
= Order
= Class
= Phylum
= Kingdom
= Domain

Natural Selection
- is the outcome or processes that affect the frequencies of traits in a particular
environment. Traits that enhance survival and reproductive success increase in
frequency over time.
3 Important Principles
= variation
= heritability
= differential reproductive success

Artifactual Evidence
- The only source of knowledge in understanding the lifestyle and the development that
occurred in each transitional stage.

Fossils
 - The remains of living things (humans, plants, animals).
- Examples: human and animal teeth, skulls and bone fragments

Artifacts
- Objects that were made and used by humans.
- Examples: stone and metal tools, ceramics, earthenware, burial jars and ornaments.

STAGES OF HUMAN EVOLUTION

Hominid
- Is the general term used by scientists to categorize the group of early humans and other
humanlike creatures that can walk erect during prehistoric times.
- 4 Categories
= Sahelanthropus
= Ardipithecus
= Australopithecus
= Homo
- Sahelanthropus, Ardipithecus Australopithecus were considered prehuman stage
because they had both apelike and human like characteristics.
- Homo had biological and cultural characteristics of a human.

Ardipithecus
- Had 2 species:
= Ardipithecus kadabba (5-6 million years ago)
= Ardipithecus ramidus (ramidus means roots) (4.4 million years ago)

Australopithecus
- (1-5 million years ago)
- There are 6 species and are classified into 2;
= Gracile – had small teeth and jaws
-Includes:
- Australopithecus anamensis
- Australopithecus afarensis
- Australopithecus africanus
= Robust – had large jaws and a muscular build
-Includes:
- Australopithecus aethiopicus
- Australopithecus robustus
- Australopithecus boisei
Prehuman Stage Sahelanthropus Ardipithecus Australopithecus
tchadensis (Ape on the ground) (Southern ape)
Brain Size 320 – 380 cubic Small brain 500 cubic meters (almost
centimeters (cc) 1/3 the size of a modern
human’s)
Skull Size Similar to the Similar to an ape.
Australopithecus’ and
of modern human’s
Posture Upright Upright Upright
Movement Bipedal Bipedal Bipedal; distance is
about 15 kilometers or
more to search for
stones to be used as
tools
Height Similar to a About 4 feet (ft.)
chimpanzee’s
Weight About 120 pounds (lb.)
Teeth Small teeth like other
homonids
Additional Info - Lived in jungles and - Lived in small social
forests groups and in African
jungles

- Ate insects, eggs,

plants, fruits and meat.

- They were food

scavengers.

- Used sticks and stones

for digging

- Only used tools, not

make them

Homo
- classified as humans and not humanlike creatures because they have bigger brains and
are bipedal.
 - First lived in Africa about 2.4 million years ago
- Had 3 species
= Homo habilis (handy man) – considered direct ancestors of modern human because
of its ability to produce tools.
= Homo erectus (upright man) (1.8 million-300,000 years ago) – Comes from the
species Homo ergaster.
= Homo sapiens (wise man) – Included the archaic Homo sapiens of Africa, Homo
heidelbergensis, Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens.
- considered modern humans because their physical
anatomy is very similar to a modern human being’s.

Homo habilis Homo erectus Homo sapiens

Brain Size Half of a modern About 1000 cc (2/3 of a 1400 cc (similar to the
human’s (700cm) modern human’s) modern human’s)
Skull Size
Posture Upright
Movement
Height About 3-4 feet About 5 feet
Weight
Additional Info - Made tools called - Made complex tools - Lived in shelters
Oldowan (from Oldovai
George, Tanzania) - Used hand axed - Were food gatherers
tools, used for digging,
- Oldowan were used cutting, scraping, and - Ate plants and fruits
as cutting tools and slicing
were made from - Hunted animals
volcanic stones - Were the first species
to use fire and lived in - Learned to gather and
caves and small cook shellfish (16400
houses years ago)

- Were believed to be - Used fire

the first to use spoken
language - Crafted and
smoothened metals
- First homo to live and
survive in Asia - Developed oral
languages

Cultural Evolution
 - Societies produce new forms of subsistence, acquire more knowledge, develop different
levels of innovation, and apply new forms of technology as a response to the challenges
posed by the environment.

Gerhard Lenski, an American sociologist, defined cultural evolution as:

- The development of technology, the information acquired by humans on how to apply
societal resources as a response to human needs and wants, leads to the evolution and
transformation of a society.

Paleolithic Period Mesolithic Period Neolithic Period

(Hunting and Gathering
Societies)
Additional Info -Produced simple tools to
hunt animals and gather
plants/ vegetation for food
-Oldest and most basic
way of economic
subsistence is hunting
and gathering
-Relationship of men and
women are equal
meaning, what the men
do are also being done by
the women
-Family is the basic unit
of hunting and gathering
societies
-Their leader was a
shaman or a priest
(Horticultural and
Pastoral Societies)
-Developed around
10,000 years ago.
-Were semi-sedentary
(settling in one place for a
certain time then will look
for another place to settle
in)
-There was a surplus of
food
-Produced and used
simple tools to crop
-The principal means of
subsistence of pastoralist
is animal domestication
-Unequal social relations
(Agricultural Societies)
-Between 8000-3500
BCE
-Agricultural societies
started cultivating wheat,
barley, peas, rice and
millet
-Produced cultivation
tools
-Developed farming skills
that can support and
sustain a town with more
than 1000 people
-Money was introduced
-Increase in social
inequality

-Were nomadic (never

staying in one place)

Post-Industrial Societies
- Centers on computers and other electronic devices that create, process, and apply ideas
and information.

Daniel Bell, American sociologist

 - Introduced the rise of post-industrial society.
- According to him, post-industrial societies are characterized by the following:
1. Transfer of labor workforce
2. Declining workforce
3. Education
4. Human Capital
5. Intellectual Technology
6. Focus
7. Knowledge

Sociopolitical Evolution of Man

- The process by which structural reorganization is affected through time, eventually
producing a form or structure which is qualitatively different from the ancestral form.
- Effects:
1. Domestication
2. Birth of trade
3. Social Stratification
4. Abundant supplies of food
5. Increase in lifespan

Civilization
- Is a complex human society, usually made up of different cities, with certain
characteristics of cultural and technological development.
- 4 major civilizations developed along rich river plains or river valleys:
1. Sumerian Civilization – developed near Tigris and Euphrates River in West Asia
2. Indus Valley Civilization – developed near the Indus River Valley in India
3. Shang Civilization – developed near the Huang Ho/He River in China
4. Egyptian Civilization – developed near the Nile River.
- *River is a source of life; hence, most civilizations were made near one*
- These river valley civilizations are considered cradle of human civilizations because it
was in these river valley systems where the Chinese, Indian, Egyptian and Sumerian
civilizations developed and flourished.
- Characteristics of these Civilizations:
1. Developed and highly advanced cities
2. Well-defined city centers
3. Complex and systematic institutions
4. Organized and centralized systems
5. Formalized and complex form of religion
6. Job specialization
7. Development of social classes
8. Implementation of large-scale public works and infrastructure like defense walls,
monuments, temples, mausoleums, government edifices, trading centers and
markets
9. Sophisticated and detailed form of arts and architecture
10. Advanced technology
 11. System of writing and recording
- Political leaders were tasked to do the following:
1. Craft laws
2. Implement laws
3. Collect taxes
4. Impose justice and punishment
5. Act as religious leaders (sometimes)
- Implications of the rise of civilizations and states:
1. Warfare and Metalwork
2. Political systems

Democratization
- From Greek words “demos” meaning “people”, and “kratos” meaning “rules”
- Refers to the spread of democracy
- Means “Rule by people”
- Has 2 types:
= Direct Democracy
= Indirect Democracy

Historical Path to a Democratic City-State:

Democracy as an adopted sociopolitical structure:
Greece
- Societal status and groups began to develop
- Hierarchy from highest to lowest:
1. King
2. Aristocrats and Noblemen
3. Farmers
- Wars were already occurring between city-states and tensions grew between social
classes.
- *Greek kings had growing ambitions to transform themselves into wealth-laden rulers
like their predecessors from the Bronze Age*

The Beginnings of Democratization:

Oligarchy
- Greek kings were disposed of by noblemen
- City-states began to change in the form of leadership into Oligarchy where rulers were
from aristocratic families.

Tyranny
- Positive Greek term meaning “boss”
 - Since there were few noblemen in government city-states in effect, they ruled the city-
states.
- Tyrants become effective in ensuring fair treatment for both land owners and formers.
- For some time, peace and equality emerged among social classes

The Birth of Democracy

- Because tyrants abused their power, intelligent Greek leaders proposed that the power
must be held by the common people. This led to the creation of a more broad-based
constitution, eventually developing the city-states to have a democratic setting.
- In 594 BCE, Solon gave Athens a new constitution. This was even considered as the
rise of democracy in Greece.