BIOLOGICAL

EVOLUTION
WHAT IS BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION?
Evolution is the change in the
inherited traits in one population over
time.
This change produces a gradual
transformation of simple living things
into more complex species across the
generations.
 FIRST EVOLUTIONARY THEORIES:
Erasmus Darwin: (1731 – 1802):
He belonged to the British
Enlightment movement: he was a
natural philosopher, doctor (he
refused to be King's George III's
personal physician), abolitionist and
poet.
 In his work Zoönomia he expressed
some views that foreshadowed a
theory of evolution, which were
read and commented on by his
grandson Charles Darwin.
 In addition to being an abolitionist, Erasmus
Darwin advocated a proper education for
girls: they should be educated in schools and
learn proper subjects like physical exercise,
botany, chemistry, mineralogy, etc.
 Although Erasmus's evolutionary ideas were
primitive and more poetical than
scientifically grounded (his poem The Botanic
Garden offered a glimpse of evolution), his
free-thinking had undoubtedly an important
influence on his grandson Charles.
 GENUS HOMO
 Modern people in the species of homo
sapiens – only living species of homo
 It is complex
 Climate is a major reason for the
evolution of larger-brained and
“smarter” humans.
 Increased size throughout the
evolution of the genus homo
 Increase the technological
sophistication
 HOMO HABILIS
 1st known species of homo in East Africa
(2.5–2.8 million years)
 Louis and Mary Leaky (1960) discovered
homo habilis – “handy human”
 Associated with australopithecines, but
there’s certain diferences
 Bipedal and lightly built
 Smaller molar teeth, jaws, and faces
 Its fossils of homo habilis show that they
lived in East Africa until about 1.4
million years ago.
 HOMO ERECTUS
 Shows up in the fossil record in East Africa
(1.9 million years ago)
 Live side by side with homo habilis (1/2
million years)
 It evolved from homo habilis at least 800
thousand years ago.
 User of stone tools
 Was able to use technology and culture to
adapt new conditions (including climates)
 More similar to modern human body size
 They hunted animals
 HOMO HEIDELBERGENSIS
 More modern-looking homo individuals
that lived 800K years ago
 Named for the city Heidelberg, Germany
 Earliest fossil of this extinct species was
found in 1907
 Mix traits with homo erectus and homo
sapiens
 Body size is smaller than modern humans
and brain size was at least 90% of the
average brain size of today’s homo sapiens
 Ancestral of homo neanderthalensis -
Neanderthals
EVOLUTION OF HUMAN
FOSSILS
ENCEPHALIZATION
OPPOSABLE THUMB

TECHNOLOGY
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