The Understanding of
Culture, Society and
Politics
Biological Evolution of
Man
Introduction
The development of the human
person did not occur overnight. It
took thousands of years for the
human species to develop. The
skills, characteristics, culture, and
society that we have at present
are products of countless years of
evolutionary development.
In this unit, we are going to tackle
different periods of human
development in the biological,
cultural, and sociopolitical
perspectives.
Essential Question:
• In what ways are the early humans
physically different from us?
Learning Objective
• Trace the biological and cultural
evolution of early to modern humans
Starting Out
Picture yourself living two million years ago when societies were
not established yet and humans have not developed into their
modern biological states. During these primitive times, survival
requires effort—early humans competed with different wildlife;
food could only be accessed through using a definitive skill set
for survival; and fire was not exactly easily available.
In addition, early humans themselves were only limited by their
survival skills.
Starting Out
Looking at the above image, you could see how humans physically transformed through a
long biological period.
Learn about It!
Human biological evolution has already come a long way.
However, according to scientists of the natural sciences, our
evolutionary process has not ended yet. This would mean
that, as the world changes, humanity continues to evolve
too.
The Meaning and Significance of Human Biological Evolution
Evolution is the process of developing physical and
biological change in a species over a period of time.
Learn about It!
Perhaps the most well-known theory on
human biological development is
Charles Darwin’s.
Theory of Evolution that proposed that
the current human race spurred from a
line of primates that evolved through
“survival of the fittest,” wherein
primitive species competed among
each other for survival.
This would imply that only the most
capable species could survive the
evolution.
Learn about It!
Transition from Early to Modern Humans
The biological transition of humans from its earliest state to
its current physical and biological makeup took millions of
years to complete. Despite this, scientists, through the help
of
archaeological evidence and modern technology, were able
to identify and distinguish distinct transitional stages of
human evolution. These stages are described below.
Learn about It!
Transition Stage: Homo
habilis
Period of Existence: 2.5 – 1.4
million years ago
Distinct Features: Developed
bipedalism or the ability to walk
upright.
• Had smaller teeth
• Diet included a variety of
plants and meat.
Learn about It!
The Homo habilis was one of the earliest species of the
genus Homo.
It was given the nickname “handy man” upon its discovery
in 1960 because it was believed to be one of the first users
of stone tools.
Learn about It!
Transition Stage: Homo
erectus
Period of Existence: 1.9
million years ago
Distinct Features: Further
enhanced bipedal activities.
• Characterized by strong
muscles at the back of the
neck, shallow forehead
• Diet included an increased
consumption of meat.
Learn about It!
The Homo erectus was believed to have lived in Africa
and parts of Europe or Asia. While the Homo habilis was
already able to stand on two feet (bipedalism), the full
development of the activity peaked through the Homo
erectus, thus gaining the nickname “the upright man.”
The Homo erectus is credited as the species that learned
how to control fire. Fossil remains of the species found in
Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Europe suggest that
the Homo erectus
became extinct some 200,000 years ago.
Learn about It!
Transition Stage: Homo
sapiens
Period of Existence: 400
years ago to present
Distinct Features:Average
brain capacity of 82 cubic
inches.
• Characterized by high
forehead, small teeth and
jaw, and defined chin.
• Constructed and used tools
for survival.
• Developed a symbolic
Learn about It!
The Homo sapiens is the species where all present human
beings belong. It was given the nickname “the wise man”
by anthropologists.
The Significance of Artefactual Evidence in
Understanding Evolution
Artefactual evidence is the only source of knowledge in
understanding the lifestyle and the developments that
occurred in each transitional stage of human evolution.
Early human species were discovered through fossils which
are remains hardened in rock.
Learn about It!
Scientists study the structure, shape, and development of
skeletal properties including head shape and teeth to
determine biological differences across early to modern
species.
Artefactual evidence can also include tools that are used for
hunting and gathering or symbolic writing found in caves. As
mentioned previously, these were used by the Homo
erectus, though scientists are still hoping to find further
evolutionary data on other species.
Learn about It!
Below are some authentic
examples of artefactual evidence
that greatly contributed to
understanding human evolution:
• An antelope leg bone with cut
marks was recently discovered
in Africa. This prehistoric tool
served as evidence for early
hunting practices and
carnivorous diet among early
stone-tool making humans, the
Oldowan hominin.
Learn about It!
A cave discovered in South
Africa filled with carbonized
leaves and grasses made
archaeologists believe that
cooking food was practiced by
early humans.
Remember
Before the existence of the
genus Homo, the
Australopithecines first
emerged. They are the earlier
members of human
Essential Question:
• In what ways are the early humans
physically different from us?
Activity
• Poster Making “Noon at
Ngayon” about Biological
Evolution of man
Check Your Understanding
QUI