Evolution: Cultural Evolution Flashcards
What is cultural evolution?
What is biological evolution?
CE: The transmission of knowledge (ideas, beliefs, customs, practices) from generation to generation/within a population. (Learned behaviour)
BE: The transmission and change of genetic information (DNA, genes, alleles) from generation to generation.
Adaptive adv of social and technical intelligence respectively?
SI: enhanced language:
-communication of ideas
-plan for future
-co-ordinate hunting & gathering
-strategize
TI: producing artefacts:
demonstrates understanding of abstract thought through physical process (best angle to strike stone)
How did tools impact early human species?
They allowed species to control their environment, gave a survival advantage in hunting, and enabled travel into new niches.
What are Oldowan tools and who made them?
Oldowan tools were made by Homo Habilis 2.5 million years ago, using simple river-worn pebbles with flakes removed from one side.
What are Acheulian tools and who made them?
Acheulian “hand axe” tools were made by Homo Erectus 1.5 million years ago. They were very versatile and used for a variety of uses. The tools were characterized by their tear-drop shapes with flakes removed from all surfaces.
What are Mousterian tools and who made them?
Mousterian tools were made by Homo Neanderthalensis 200,000 years ago, often from flint using the Levallois Method where flakes were removed from a core to form axes, scrapers and points for spears/small blades.
What are Upper Paleolithic tools and who made them?
Upper Paleolithic tools were made by Homo Sapiens, featuring a diverse range of specialized tools using the punch blade method.
How did the increase in tool design relate to brain development?
Increased tool complexity –> More food with high nutritional value (bone marrow w long chain fatty acids vital for brain growth) –> improved cognitive abilities (larger brains/ improved cerebral cortex)
—> more precise techniques
–> more complex, efficient, fine tools.
What biological factors affected the creation of tools?
Bipedalism freed up the hands, leading to increased hand activity leading to greater dexterity and stimulated/fed brain
–> better tools
What is the positive feedback loop related to hunting and brain development?
Greater hunting ability led to more food, providing more protein to fuel brain development, resulting in bigger brains.
When was fire first used and by whom?
Fire was first used by Homo Erectus 1.5 million years ago.
What are the adaptive advantages of using fire?
Cooking food, making tools, hunting, protection, warmth, light at night, and social organization.
What are the disadvantages of using fire?
Injury from burns, increased work gathering fuel, and ecological destruction.
What biological evidence supports the development of abstract thought?
Broca’s Area for speech production, Wernicke’s Area for language comprehension, and the voice box.
What cultural evidence supports the development of abstract thought?
Art created by Homo Sapiens 30-40,000 years ago, reflecting a sense of beauty and cultural information transmission.
