BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL

EVOLUTION: FROM AUSTRALOPITHECUS

TO HOMO SAPIENS

MEMBERS: GROUP 3
CHENIE NICA CORONEL
GLENNDY CASTILLON
JESSA MAE MENDEZ
GRACE NG
TREENA AMBAS
JOSEPH RENE NG
BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL
EVOLUTION
 Are key concepts in the study of the origins of modern humans.
BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
- refers to the changes, modifications, and variations in the genetics and inherited traits of
biological population from one generation to another.
EVOLUTION
- is diverse and it occurs in the different levels of the biological population. It can occur in the
level of species or organisms even in the molecular level.
CULTURAL EVOLUTION (SOCIOCULTURAL EVOLUTION)
- refers to the changes or development in cultures from a simple form to a more complex form
of human culture.
CHARLES DARWIN (1809-1882)
- after conducting numerous studies regarding the changes that occur among plants, fossils
animals, and different breeds of pigeons, concluded that each species was not created at one time
in a fixed form.
- introduced the concept of evolution.
- On the Origins of Species by Means of Natural Selection
CHARLES DARWIN
NATURAL SELECTION 3 IMPORTANT
PRINCIPLES:
1. Variation
- Every species is made up of a variety of individuals wherein some are better adapted to their
environments compared to others.

2. Heritability
- Organisms produce progeny with different sets of traits that can be inherited.

3. Differential Reproductive Success

- Organisms that have traits most suitable to their environment will survive and transfer these
variations to their offspring in subsequent generations.
 FROM HOMINIDS TO HOMO SAPIENS
SAPIENS:
THE BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL EVOLUTION
OF MODERN HUMANS
 Apelike ancestors of modern humans SAHELANTHROPUS TCHADENSIS
 Fossils CHARACTERISTICS:
 Artifacts 1. Skull similar to Australopithecus and
 Hominid modern human
- categorize the group of early humans and 2. Height almost similar to chimpanzee
other humanlike creatures that can walk erect 3. Brain size 320-380 cc
during the prehistoric times
4 CATEGORIES OF HOMINIDS 4. Small teeth
1. Sahelanthropus 5. Ability to walk upright
2. Ardipithecus
3. Australopithecus
4. Homo
 HOMINIDS
4 CATEGORIES OF HOMINIDS: SAHELANTHROPUS
1. 2. TCHANDESIS

3. 4.
TWO SPECIES OF ARDIPITHECUS
ARDPITHECUS KADABBA
- 5.6 million years ago
ARDPITHECUS RAMIDUS
- 4.4 million years ago
Ardipithecus
- means “ape on the ground”
Ramidus
- means “root”
ARDIPITHECUS CHARACTERISTICS:
1. Height of about 4 feet
2. Weight of about 120 pounds
3. Skull size similar to an ape
4. Small brain
5. Biped (walked on two legs or feet)
6. Lived in jungles and forests like the
chimpanzees
 2 SPECIES OF ARDIPITHECUS
ARDIPITHECUS KADABBA ARDIPITHECUS RAMIDUS
AUSTRALOPITHECUS
(SOUTHERN APE)
CHARACTERISTICS:
1. Brain size of 500 cc or almost 1/3 of the size of the modern human
brain
2. Upright
3. Biped
4. Tool users only and not tool makers
5. Used sticks and stones for digging
6. Lived in small social groups
7. Distance (15km) or (9.3 miles) to search for stones
8. Food scavengers
9. Ate insects, eggs, plants, fruits, and sometimes meat
2 CATEGORIES OF
AUSTRALOPITHECUS
GRACILE (Gracile ROBUST (Robust
Australopithecine) Australopithecine)

1. Australopithecus Anamensis 1. Australopithecus Aethiopicus

2. Australopithecus Afarensis 2. Australopithecus Robustus
3. Australopithecus Africanus 3. Australopithecus Boisei (had large
teeth and jaw
 AUSTRALOPITHECUS
> >

> >
 AUSTRALOPITHECINE ROBUST
> >AUSTRALOPITHECUS BOISEI

> AUSTRALOPITHECUS ROBUSTUS

HOMO
- Classified as humans and not humanlike creatures because they had
bigger brains and were bipedal
- First lived in Africa (2.4 million years ago)
HOMO SPECIES
• Homo Habilis (handyman)
• Homo Erectus (upright man)
• Homo Sapiens (wise man)
>HOMO HABILIS >HOMO ERECTUS > HOMO SAPIENS
 CHARACTERISTICS:
HOMO HABILIS:
1. Height about 3 to 4 feet
2. Brain size half the size of the
modern human (700 cc)
3. Oldowan – used as cutting tools
and made from volcanic stones
4. Used tools for hunting and food
gathering
HOMO ERECTUS: (1.8m –
300,000 yrs. Ago)
1. Brain size of 1000 cc or about
2/3 of the modern human brain
size
2. Height about 5 feet
3. Walks upright
OLDOWAN
 HOMO ERECTUS
 Cultural evolution
 Fossils was discovered in Africa
 In Asia, Homo Erectus fossil was found in the Longgupo cave in China
(1.9 mya)
 Eugene Dubois (1848 – 1940)
-Excavated in Trinil, Java, Indonesia. The fossil became known as the Java
Man (1.8 m yrs. Of age)
 1920
- Homo Erectus skull was excavated in a cave in Zhoukoudian, China,
became known as the Peking Man (1.1 – 1 million yrs. Of age)
 HOMO SAPIENS (Thinking Man)
SPECIES:
a. The archaic Homo Sapiens of
Africa
b. Homo Heidelbergensis
c. Homo Neanderthalensis
d. Homo Sapiens Sapiens
CHARACTERISTICS
1. Large brain size (1,400 cc)
2. Live in shelters
3. Food gatherers
4. Ate plants and fruits
5. Hunted animals
6. Learn to gather and cook shellfish
(164,000 yrs. Ago)
7. Used fire
8. Crafted metals
 HOMO SAPIENS
> >
MUSEUMS AS VENUES FOR THE APPRECIATION OF THE
COMPLEXITIES OF BIOCULTURAL AND SOCIAL EVOLUTION
Fossils – refers to preserved human, plant, and animal remains.
Artifacts – refer to objects that were made and used by humans
MUSEUMS
- are institutions that are primarily tasked to conserve, communicate, and
exhibit all material and non material heritage of human society.