CULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION AMONG ANATOMICALLY MODERN HOMO SAPIENS, 50,000-10,000 YEARS AGO UPDATED AUG. 29, 2005 DR. ERIC CANIN CSU FULLERTON

Symbol use before homo sapiens Homo erectus: use of red ochre Homo neandertalis: intentional burial

HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS THE SYMBOL USER HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS (ANATOMICALLY MODERN HUMANS) AROSE IN AFRICA AND SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE WORLD RECENT EVIDENCE FAVORS REPLACEMENT (OUT OF AFRICA) OVER MULTIREGIONAL MODELS APPR. DATE B.P.CONTINENTSITE EXAMPLE –155,000AFRICAHERTO, ETHIOPIA –100,000NEAR EASTSKUHL, ISRAEL – 67,000ASIALIUJIANG, CHINA – 40,000AUSTRALIALAKE MUNGO, AUSTRALIA – 36,000EUROPEPESTERA CU OASE, ROMANIA – 13,000S. AMERICAMONTE VERDE, CHILE – NeandertalHomo sapiens sapiens

SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL ADAPTATIONS: THE HUMAN REVOLUTION THE MOST IMPORTANT CULTURAL ADAPTATIONS DURING THE PERIOD FROM 50,000 TO 10,000 INVOLVED THE USE OF TOOLS AND SYMBOLS TOOLS AND SYMBOLS WERE USED PRIOR TO 50,000 BY OTHER HOMINIDS, BUT THE DATE MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE SOPHISTICATED, EFFICIENT AND WIDESPREAD USE OF CULTURE THIS PERIOD, CALLED THE UPPER PALEOLITHIC IN EUROPE, IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE HUMAN REVOLUTION Solutrean bladeCave painting: horse and arrows

TOOLS: STONE AND BEYOND STONE BLADES: BLANKS FOR MAKING OTHER TOOLS –USED TO MAKE KNIVES, BURINS, SCRAPERS, AWLS STONE MICROLITHS: SMALL, FLAKED TOOLS ATTACHED TO WOOD OR BONE –USED AS BARBS AND ARROWHEADS TOOLS MADE FROM OTHER MATERIALS : BONE, IVORY, ANTLER AND SHELL –USED TO MAKE HARPOONS, SPEARTHROWERS, AWLS AND NEEDLES

SYMBOLS: VISUAL AND MATERIAL IMAGERY CAVE (PARIETAL) ART »Rhinos from Chauvez, France, 32,000 B.P. ROCK ART (PETROGLYPHS) »Giraffe and other figures, Namibia, 27,000 B.P.

SYMBOLS: VISUAL AND MATERIAL IMAGERY, con’t. FIGURINES (PORTABLE ART) »Venus of Willendorf, Austria, 25,000 B.P. BURIALS »Burial remains with beads, Sungir, Russia, 28,000 B.P.

SYMBOLS: VISUAL AND MATERIAL IMAGERY, con’t SHAMANISM, RELIGION AND THE IMAGINATION »The Sorcerer, Les Trois Freres, France, 12,000 B.P. »Artist rendering IS THIS A GOD, MAN-BEAST, COSTUMED DANCER, OR SELF-TRANSFORMING SHAMAN?

IMPACT OF CULTURE ON BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON BIOLOGY IS NOT CLEAR, BUT BASED ON INFERENCE IMPROVED TOOL TECHNOLOGY MAY HAVE –CHANGED OUR DENTITION (TOOTH SIZE), WHICH RESULTED IN CHEEKBONES AND CHIN CHARACTERISTIC OF HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS –IMPROVED OUR DIET, RESULTING IN GREATER ENCEPHALIZATION, THE RATIO OF BRAIN TO BODY SIZE INCREASED USE OF SYMBOLS AND SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE MAY HAVE –FAVORED INDIVIDUALS WITH GREATER ENCEPHALIZATION AND IMPROVED VOCAL TRACTS, AS SYMBOLIC COMMUNICATION BECAME MORE IMPORTANT AND WIDESPREAD