Looking Back at the Human

Biocultural and Social

Evolution
Biological and Cultural Evolution

• Biological evolution refers to the changes,

modifications and variations in genetics
and inherited traits of biological
populations from one generation to
another (Contreras, 2016)
• “descent with modification (Darwin, 1859)
• It is a process by which heritable traits
may change over successive years
• It is based on the theory introduced by
Charles Darwin which underpins the idea
that each species was not created at one
time in a fixed form.
• Darwin introduced the Theory of Natural
Selection which states that the
environment favors certain organisms and
those organisms that survive can pass on
their traits over time
 In Biological Evolution,
scientists study…
• the changes in the physical body of the
humans
• The changes in the shape and size of the
brain, dentition and fingers
• Changes in posture, movement and the
development of bipedalism
 Cultural Evolution

• Refers to the changes or development in

cultures from a simple form to a more
complex fomr of human culture.
• It is a result of human adaptation to
different factors like climatic changes, and
population increase
Cultural Transmission
 Thought to remember:

Many of the first models of cultural

evolution drew explicit parallels
between culture and genes by
modifying concepts from
theoretical population genetics
and applying them to culture
• Cultural patterns of transmission,
innovation, random fluctuations, and
selection are conceptually analogous to
genetic processes of transmission,
mutation, drift, and selection, and many of
the mathematical techniques used to study
genetics can be useful in the study of
culture (Creanza and Kolodny, 2017)
• The evolution of species happens through
the process of natural selection.

• The reason for occurrence of evolution.

• The outcome processes that affect the fre
quencies of traits in a particular environm
ent. Traits that enhance survival and repr
oductive success increase in frequency o
ver time.
 Variations
• Every species is made up of a variety
of individuals wherein some are adop
ted to their environments compared t
o others
 Heritability
• Organisms produce progeny wi
th different sets of traits that can inheri
ted
Differential reproductive
success
• Organisms that have traits most
suitable their environment will
to
survive and transfer these variations to
their offspring in subsequent generatio
ns
 HOMINIDS
• The general term used to categorize the
group of early and othe
humanlike creatures that r can wal
humans
erect during the prehistoric k
period.
 Four Categories of Hominids
1. 3.
Sahelanthropus Australopithecus

2.
Ardipithecus

4. HOMO
 1. Sahelanthropus
tchadensis
6-7 million years ago
•It had both apelik
e and humanlike
characteristics:
1.A skull similar to Australo
pithecus and modern hum
an.
2.Height almost similar with
the chimpanzee
3.Brain size: 320-380 cc
4.Small teeth
5.Had the ability to walk upr
ight
 Orrorin
tugenensi Ardipithecu
5.7 millionsyears ago s
5.6 million years
ago
Ardipithecu
“ape on the ground”
s
Ardipithecu Ardipithecu
s Kadabb s Ramidu
a s
• 1. height about 4 feet
• 2. weight about 120 pounds
• 3. skull size similar to an ape
• 4. Small brain
• 5. Biped
• 6. lived in jungles and forests like
chimpanzees
3.Australopithecu
s
(5 million- 1millio
n years ag
o)

“the Southern Ap
e”
 Characteristics
1. Brain size: 500 cc or almost 1/3 size o
f the modern human brain
2. Upright
3. Biped
4. Tool users not tool makers
5. Food scavengers
• There are 6 species of the Australopith
ecus and they are divided into two maj
or categories:
Gracile Australophitecus
-Australophitecus afarensis
Australophitecus anamensis
-Australophitecus africanus
Australopithecus
Afarensis

Considered as one of modern human’s earliest ancestor

s and remains as the most famous hominid fossil dis
Robust Australophitecus
Australophitecus aethiopicus
Australophitecus robustus
Australophitecus boisei
 HOMO
• They are classified as humans and not hu
manlike creatures because they had bigge
r brains and were bipedal
HOMO HABILIS
• 3-4 FEET
• Brain size: 700
cc
HOMO ERECTUS
• Large Brain siz
e: 1,000cc
• Lived in shelter
s
• Food gatherers
• Crafted materia
ls
Peking Man
 HOMO SAPIENS
• .Homo sapien
• Cro -
s Neanderthal Magnon
ensis
Hungting and Gathering
Societies
• The oldest and
most basic way
of economic su
bsistence.

making use of simple tools
to hunt animals and gathe
r vegetation for food

depend on the family to do
many things

although women and men
perform different tasks, m
ost hunters and gatherers
probably see the sexes as
having about the same so
cial importance (Leacock,
1978)

people come close to bein
g socially equal
Horticultural and`Pastoral Societies

large-scale cultivation using plows
harnessed to animals or more po
werful energy sources

money as a common standard of
exchange, and the old barter syst
em was abandoned

extreme social inequality, typically
more than modern societies such
as our own

agriculture raises men to a positio
n of social dominance

religion reinforces the power of eli
tes
Agricultural Societies and the
NeolithicRevolution
• Human began to farm and domesticate a
nimals.
• Animal domestication provided important
contributions to the Neolithic people.
• The development of agriculture also led to
an increase in social inequality
 Industrial Societies
• the production of goods using advanced so
urces of energy to drive large machinery
• water power and then steam
boilers to operate mills and
factories filled with larg
machines e
• change was so rapid that it
sparked the birth of sociology
itself
• weakening close working
relationships,
of strong family ties, a
nd many of the traditional values,
Post-Industrial Societies

the production of information u
sing computer technology

less and less labour force

the postindustrial society is at t
he heart of globalization

technology has improved life a
nd brought the world's people
closer but establishing peace,
ensuring justice, and protecting
the environment are problems
that technology alone cannot s
olve
 Characteristics:
• Transfer of labor workforce from manufact
uring to service
• A significant increase in the number of pro
fessional and technical employment and a
decline in the number of skilled and semis
killed workers
• Education as the basis of social mobility
• Human capital
• Application of “intellectual technology”
• Focus on communication infrastructure
• Knowledge as source of inventi
on and innovation
Political Evolution and th
e Development of
Early Civilization
 Four Major Civilizations
• Sumerian
• Indus
Valley
• Shang
• Egyptian
• Developed and highly advanced cities
• Well-defined city centers
• Complex and systematic institutions
• Organized and centralized system
of government
• Formalized and complex form of religion
• Job specialization
• Development of Social classes
• Advance technology
• System of writing and recording
 Political leaders
• Craft laws
• Implement laws
• Impose justice and punishment
• Collect taxes
• Sometimes act as religious leaders as well
Social and Political S
ystems
 QUIZ

• 1. Why is cultural and biological evolution

parallel?
• 2. How can you differentiate the homonids
from the homo sapiens
• 3.How does the Natural Selection Theory
influence the formation of culture and
societies?
• You may opt to use any system to create
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• At the back of the paper, please write your
full name and you class name.
• The timeline must be signed by your
parents before submission.
• Please refer to the following dates on
which you have to submit your assignment