HANDOUT IN UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS (UCSP)
NAME:_________________________________________
First Semester/First Quarter
THE BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION MAN
Species Description
Hominid  “Manlike Primates”
 General term used by scientists to
categorize the group of early
humans and other humanlike
creatures that can walk erect during
the prehistoric times
Ardipithecus  “ape on the ground”
 lived about 4.4 million years ago
 Originally described as one of the
earliest ancestors of humans
Australopithecus  The “southern ape”
 Lived in the African jungle from 5
million to 1 million years ago.
(fossils being discovered in Africa,
the cradle of humankind)
 Is considered as the 1st stage of
human evolution (Prehuman stage
of Evolution) and the Homo as the
last stage (Human Stage of Human
evolutions).
Homohabilis  The “Handy Man”
 Lived about 2.4 to 1.4 million years
ago scavenging for food.
 Considered as the direct ancestor
of the modern human because of
its ability to produce tools
 Species with a brain of a Broca’s
era which is associated with speech
in modern humans.
Homo Erectus  The “Upright Man”
 It was believed to be the first man
like creature that lived about
500,000 years ago in Asia, Africa
and Europe.
 This manlike specie could walk
straight with almost the same brain
with modern man.
 He made refined stone tools for
hunting and weapons for protection
of the enemies.
Homo Sapiens  “The Thinking Man”
 It was believed that this was the
direct descendant of modern man
who lived about 250,000 years
ago.
 Originated as the primitive man
whose activities were largely
dependent on hunting, fishing, and
agriculture.
12 ABM ______
Characteristics
 can walk erect during the
prehistoric times
 Small brain,
 biped (walked on 2 legs or feet)
 Lived in jungles and forest like
the chimpanzees
 Skull size similar to an ape
 Height of about 4 feet
 Brain size (1/3 size) of the size
of the modern human brain;
 upright;
 biped/bipedal;
 lived in small groups;
 food scavengers;
 ate insects, eggs, plants, fruits,
and sometimes meat;
 use sticks and stones for
digging.
 Height – 3-4 ft.;
 brain size half the size of the
modern human;
 used tools for hunting and food
gathering
 brain size about 2/3 of the
modern human brain size;
 height – about 5 ft.,
 walks upright, known for
making complex tools,
considered as skillful hunters,
 first to produce fire
 the 1st homo species to use
fire and to live in caves,
 1st homo to use spoken
language
 Larger Brain size (almost
similar to the brain of modern
humans);
 lived in shelters;
 food gatherer;
 ate plant and fruits/hunted
animals;
 learned to gather and cook;
 crafted metals