HUMAN

CULTURAL
EVOLUTION
❑
Biological Evolution- refers to
the changes, modifications, and
variations in the genetics and
inherited traits of biological
populations from one generation to
another.
❑ - based on the theory of evolution
that was introduced by the famous Biological and cultural evolution:
English naturalist and geologist
Charles Darwin (1809-1882). from Homo habilis (or earlier) to
Because of the result of his
studies, he introduced the concept
Homo sapiens sapiens in the
of evolution to explain the fossil record.
origins of modern humans.
 • is the revolutionary process
leading to the appearance of
modern-day humans.
• HOMO- is used to determine the
species of human beings.
• HOMINIDS- is the direct
ancestors of homo species.

Human evolution
Australopithecus- the first
definite hominids, lived 4.4
million to 1.4 million years
ago.
- they were fully bipedal
which means that they
could walk using their two
legs.
 Divided into 2 groups:
1. Gracile Australopithecines- have smaller dentition and
facial muscle.

- they lacked bony crests for the attachment of heavy

chewing muscles, that’s why they are frugivores (feeds
on fruit).

- shared several traits with modern apes and humans and

were widespread throughout Eastern and Southern Africa as
early as 4 to as late as 1.2 million years ago.

- the earliest evidence of fundamentally bipedal

hominids can be observed at the site of Laetoli in
Tanzania.
2.Robust Australopithecines- or Paranthropus, are characterized by
several features of the skull that

give them a "robust" appearance when compared to gracile hominids.

- they existed in East and Southern Africa between approximately

2.5 and 1.4 million years ago.

- the most notable of these features are large, thickly enameled,

post canine teeth that were supported

by deep and broad mandibular corpora with tall and broad rami.

- robust forms adapted to consume heavy and gritty vegetation as they are
herbivores.
Homo Species- have a brain larger compared
to the Australopithecus species which
appeared about
2.3million years ago.
Divided into 2 species:
1. Homo habilis- has a larger brain and reduced the
size of molars and premolars compared to a
Australopithecus. - a.k.a Handy man because this
species was thought to represent the first maker
stone tools.

2. Homo rudolfensis- somehow the same as the

features of H. habilis. - many paleoanthropologists
make no distinctions between the two species. Some
say that the difference lies on their cheek teeth
and face. - it has a broader face, larger braincase,
and larger molar and premolar teeth compared to the
H. habilis.
 • the first hominid species that was distributed in the
“Old world”.
• - it was seen in parts of Africa and Asia, and was
discovered by Eugene Dubois which he called
Pithecanthropus erectus at first which means erect
ape man.
• - had smaller teeth than other Homos genus.
• - it is known that they have the capacity to control
fire, because of this, they survived the cold weather.
• - lower paleolithic tools and other artifacts were
probably produced by them.

Homo erectus
Homo sapiens
• sapiens appeared 50,000 years ago and
was characterized as the modern human
beings.
• - have a domed skull, chin, small
eyebrows, and a rather puny skeleton.
• - is thought to have evolved sometime
between 160,000 and 90,000 years ago in
• Africa before migrating first to the Middle
East and Europe and later to Asia,
Australia, and the Americas.
CULTURAL & SOCIOPOLITICAL
EVOLUTION

Cultural and sociopolitical evolution: from

hunting and gathering to the agricultural,
industrial, and post-industrial revolutions
The Neolithic➢Revolution
also called the ➢ it started around
bands of hunter-
Agricultural 10,000 B.C. in the
gatherers to larger,
Revolution, marked Fertile Crescent, a
agricultural
the transition in boomerang-shaped
settlements and
human history from region of the Middle
early civilization.
small nomadic East

where humans first

took up farming.
➢ Neolithic Age is
Shortly after, Stone began to practice
sometimes called the
Age humans in other agriculture.
New Stone Age.
parts of the world
also

➢ Neolithic humans
used stone tools existence in small
like their earlier bands of hunter-
Stone Age ancestors, gatherers during the
who eked out a last Ice Age.
marginal
Early Civilizations and the Rise of the
State
• Civilization- is a complex society that creates agricultural surpluses,
allowing for specialized labor, social hierarchy, and the establishment of
cities.
- Developments such as writing, complex religious systems, monumental
architecture, and centralized political power have been suggested as
identifying markers of civilization, as well.
- Governments and states emerged as rulers gained control over larger
areas and more resources, often using writing and religion to maintain
social hierarchies and consolidate power over larger areas and
populations.

• Characteristics: large population centers; monumental

architecture and unique art styles;

• shared communication strategies; systems for administering

territories; a complex division of

• labor; and the division of people into social and economic

classes.
First Civilizations
• Democratization is the building of political institutions, common
interests, and new forms of legitimization.
• Consolidating a democracy requires building political parties and
alliances capable of establishing credible national agenda and
control of the military, making the security forces accountable to
electoral representatives, and crafting a constitutional arrangement
(voting rules, distribution of powers, checks on arbitrary action) that
will seem fair, open, and in the interests of all major social sectors,
including old and new elites.
• Thus, democratization emerges from the political process of clash
and compromise and consensus building.
Democracy
• Democracy is a form of government in which the people have
the authority to choose their governing legislators.
• The decisions on who is considered part of the people and
how authority is shared among or delegated by the people
have changed over time and at different speeds in different
countries, but they have included more and more of the
inhabitants of all countries.