HU M AN

CU LTUR AL AN D
BI OLOG I CAL
EVO LUTI ON
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EVOLUTION 
Change in the heritable characteristics
of biological populations over
successive generations. Evolutionary processes give rise
to biodiversity at every level of biological organization,
including the levels of species, individual organisms,
and molecules.
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Human evolution
The evolutionary process that led to the emergence
of anatomically modern humans, beginning with
the evolutionary history of primates – in
particular genus Homo – and leading to the emergence
of Homo sapiens as a distinct species of the hominid
family, the great apes. This process involved the
gradual development of traits such as human
bipedalism and language.
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CULTURAL
EVOLUTION
The changing of ideas held and actions carried out by societies and the transmission of
these ideas through social learning from one generation to the next (e.g. the use of fire,
agriculture, tools, weapons, religion ad beliefs).
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Early human history is traditionally divided into Stone, Bronze and Iron ages,
according to the main materials used. The Stone age can be further broken down into
the following periods:

Lower Paleolithic (Early Stone Age)

3 million years ago

 Earliest Stone tools introduced by Homo habilis

 Simple shapes stones tools like cutters and hand axes. Also, they used spear
tips and sticks.
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Middle Paleolithic (Old Stone Age)

120,000 years ago

 More advanced tools, made from a greater variety of materials. First widely use
by Homo neanderthalensis.
 The middle Paleolithic is characterized by the Mousterian tool industry, whereby
flint was often shaped using the Levallois technique, giving extremely sharp
edges such as
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Upper Paleolithic (Late Stone Age)

35,000 years ago

 Tools displaying a much more sophisticated design and greater ingenuity.

Associated with the earliest anatomically modern ‘Cro-Magnon’ Homo sapiens
 Tools included throwing sticks, harpoons and much finer blades and spearheads
made using ‘punch blade’ technique
 Culture also included cave paintings and sculptures.
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Mesolithic(Middle Stone Age)

 12,000 years ago

 Increased use of smaller finer tools and blades. Often small stone tools / blades
(microliths) were incorporated into wooden or bone tools.
 These tools were exclusively used by Homo sapiens
 Commodities used to make these tools (stone, bone, antler, hides, etc) would have
been traded.
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Neolithic  (New Stone Age)

10,000 years ago

 Neolithic culture is characterized by the development of agriculture. Wheat, corn,

potatoes and rice were amongst the first ever domesticated crops.
 More advanced shape tools like bows and arrows and harpoons. And also they
used spear tips/
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BIOLOGICAL
EVOLUTION
The changes in living organisms over time.
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PAN TROGLODYTES (CHIMPANZEE)

 Cranial capacity 320-480cc

 Quadrupedal / Brachiators
 Prognathism -jaw protrudes from face, Large jaw / teeth
 Barrel shaped rib cage / c-curved spine typical of quadrupedal lifestyle
 Distribution: Central - Western Africa.
 Chimps are not our direct ancestors, but may resemble some of our earliest
ancestors who had a similar lifestyle.
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AUSTRALOPITHICINES

 Cranial capacity 400-500cc

 africanus slightly larger than afarensis
 Apelike Face; low forehead & brow ridge (slightly reduced in africanus)
 The Canines are smaller than chimps but still much larger than in modern
humans
 Pelvis and leg bones confirm bipedalism
 Distribution: East Africa (Rift Valley) - South Africa
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PARANTHROPUS GROUP

 Cranial capacity 530cc

 Extinct offshoot of the Australopithecines
 Very robust skull with feature associated with a diet of tough fibrous / leafy
material
 Heavy brow ridge, zygomatic arches, large mandible (lower jaw) and sagittal
crest
 Distribution: South-East Africa
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H. HABILIS

 Cranial capacity 650-680cc

 First to use tools (Oldowan)
 Marked increase in cranial capacity
 Bulge in Broca’s area (speech production)
 Smaller narrower face with reduced jaw
 Modern U-shaped jaw with narrower molars
 Distribution: Rift Valley, East Africa
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H. ERECTUS

 Cranial capacity 750 -1225cc

 First to use fire and Acheulian tools
 Marked increase in cranial capacity with a large difference between earlier
erectus and later ones.
 Development of Broca’s and Wernike’s areas of the brain possibly associated
with rudimentary communication
 Flat face with pronounced bow ridge
 Distribution: Africa (H. ergaster), Asia & Europe (H. erectus)
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H. NEANDERTHALENSIS

 Cranial capacity 1600c

 Larger brain than even H. sapiens but organized differently
 Large occipital lobe / bun
 Skull widest at base
 Used more advances Mousterian flint tools
 Further reduced teeth
 Sloping forehead
 Distribution: Europe and West Asia
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H. SAPIENS

 Cranial capacity 1400cc

 Large brain with larger frontal lobes / cerebral cortex.
 Skull is widest further up / higher
 High vertical forehead
 Further reduced teeth
 No muzzle (prognathism)
 Distribution: Global
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THE END