Cultural Evolution

This is the transmission of knowledge from generation to generation. Knowledge is stored in the memory, and in written or pictorial form. Culture is the verbal and written transmission of ideas, beliefs, customs and values of individuals and societies.

Cultural Evolution Cultural change occurs as ideas build on previous ideas so that a large body of knowledge develops and keeps developing. Clearly seen with modern I.T. where change is occurring very rapidly and new ideas and innovations promote more new ideas and innovations.

Cultural Evolution Speech was an important milestone in our cultural evolution, as it allowed for effective co-ordination of activities such as hunting, tool making, building etc. It also allowed the exchange of ideas. It is likely that speech evolved sometime between 1.6mya and ya.

The Paranthropus Genus P. robustus; P. boisei; P. aethiopicus ( previously classed as Austrolopithecus). Evidence suggests that robustus species ate course, tough food such as nuts, hard- shelled fruits, fibrous roots and tubers, perhaps supplemented by small insects. There is some evidence that robustus used bones and perhaps sticks to dig up roots.

The Paranthropus Genus The brain size 550cm 3 suggests that paranthropus were more advanced than A. afarensis and A. Africanus, in spite of being an evolutionary dead-end.

Homo habilis

Homo habilis (Handy Man) They were successful hunters, killing a wide variety of large and small game. They made simple stone tools, now called the Oldowan, which are round stones with one end chipped. These stones were carried many miles from their point of origin. They used their hands for clubbing, throwing, butchering game, preparing skins and digging up roots, etc.

Homo habilis (Handy Man) They made some sort of shelter or windbreak. Bands consisted of about 12 people, they probably joined up with other groups for periods of time. They must have had cooperative behaviour, and with the development of a primitive speech their communication must have improved.

Homo habilis (Handy Man) As the pelvis shape changed and the human line developed bigger brains, the problem of getting larger headed babies down the birth canal arose. This was overcome by giving birth to very immature babies that were helpless and required a lot of aftercare.

Homo erectus and Homo ergaster With the larger brain H. erectus probably had more advanced speech, making teaching and cooperative behaviour easier. According to the evidence of charcoal at sites where they are found, H. erectus had learned to control fire

Homo erectus and Homo ergaster Fire can be used to: –Cook food, softening it for easier digestion –Kill bacteria and parasites in the food –Keeping warm –Scare away predators –Enhance cooperative groups as a social focus

Fire

Homo erectus and Homo ergaster There is a big advance in stone tools – e.g. they made large teardrop-shaped, double edged “hand axes”. These tools are called Acheulian. With the increased brain they developed curiosity, so started to migrate to other areas. They were also able to exploit the environment better, so could move into areas that had been marginal before.

Acheulian Tools

Homo erectus and Homo ergaster Increased skills probably lead to an increase in the population, so they probably needed to move on to avoid exhausting resources. There is evidence (in France) that they built shelters. These were huts supported by wooden poles planted in the ground and held in place by blocks of stone. They were co-operative hunters.

Homo erectus and Homo ergaster It is thought that the Asian H. erectus made very good use of bamboo to make tools, containers, thatched roofs, rafts etc.

Homo heidelbergensis They were the next species after H. ergaster and H. erectus to diffuse throughout the length and northern breadth of Africa and into Southern Europe and the Middle East. They were increasingly able to hunt bigger prey. This increasingly rich diet may have led to the increase in body size.

Homo heidelbergensis They were cannibals – evidence from dismembered and burnt human remains. They used Acheulian tools, rather like H. erectus until they became extinct. They built shelters. They used fire.

Homo neanderthalis These people were intelligent, and able to adapt to extremes of weather. They lived in caves and built low stone walls to keep the cold out of the entrance. They made a large hearth with flat stones, forming a hot-plate for cooking meat. They made fine stone tools known as Mousterian, which include flakes, scrapers and spears. They attached stone tools to handles.

Mousterian Tools

Homo neanderthalis They dressed hides for clothing. They stampeded herds of animals over cliffs, or drove them into bogs. They buried their dead, often surrounding them with tools and flowers. Some of the bodies appear to have been decorated with red ochre.

Homo neanderthalis They had strong social bonds. One body had a broken rib, severe arthritis, diseased vertebrae and had lost nearly all his teeth, yet he survived to the age of about 40 yrs – obviously his group were looking after him. They were cannibals – evidence of charred bones split to get the bone marrow. They all died out so were an evolutionary dead-end.

Homo sapiens They were skilled hunters, often following reindeer on their seasonal migration. They made flint and bone tools. They used a spear thrower and perhaps a bow and arrow. Their tools had fine blades and points. They made bone needles and fish hooks. These are called Upper Palaeolithic tools.

Upper Paleolithic Tools

Homo sapiens They engraved and painted on the walls of caves, and carved statues.