Sapiens

Question 1

Sapiens

Revolutions of human evolution:

______________ revolution — 70,000 years ago

______________ revolution — 12,000 years ago

______________ revolution — 500 years ago

Answer 1

Revolutions of human evolution:

Cognitive revolution — 70,000 years ago

Agricultural revolution — 12,000 years ago

Scientific revolution — 500 years ago

Question 2

Sapiens

Animals much like modern humans first appeared _________ years ago.

Answer 2

Animals much like modern humans first appeared 2.5 million years ago.

Question 3

Sapiens

Describe the evolution of the Homo genus after branching off from australopithecus.

Answer 3

Europe and Western Asia - Homo neanderthalensis

Eastern Asia - Homo erectus

East Africa - Homo rudolfensis, Homo ergaster, Homo sapiens

Many others; including:

Siberian cave - Homo denisova

Indonesian island - Homo floresciensis

Question 4

Sapiens

True/False.

The Homo genus progressed linearly from australopithecus to Homo erectus to Homo denisova to Homo neanderthalensis to early Homo sapiens to modern Homo sapiens.

Answer 4

False.

These species of human overlapped for long periods of time.

Question 5

Sapiens

Identify the known Homo species that were present in the following geographic areas:

Europe and Western Asia - ______________

Eastern Asia - ______________

East Africa - ______________

A Siberian cave - ______________

An Indonesian island - ______________

Answer 5

Identify the known Homo species that were present in the following geographic areas:

Europe and Western Asia - Homo neanderthalensis

Eastern Asia - Homo erectus

East Africa - Homo rudolfensis**, **Homo ergaster,** **Homo sapiens

A Siberian cave - Homo denisova

An Indonesian island - Homo floresciensis

Question 6

Sapiens

________ years ago, Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, and early Homo sapiens were using fire regularly.

Answer 6

300,000 years ago, Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, and early Homo sapiens were using fire regularly.

Question 7

Sapiens

What are some of the benefits of cooking food?

Answer 7

• Unlocking nutrients
• Speeding up the mastication/digestion processes
• Killing microbes

Question 8

Sapiens

What effect did cooking food have on the human gut/brain?

Answer 8

The more rapid digestion led to a shortening of the gut, allowing for more energy available to spend on brain power

Question 9

Sapiens

True/False.

The Homo genus has virtually always been towards the top of the food chain.

Answer 9

False.

The Homo genus did not move from the middle of the food chain to the top until around 100,000 years ago

Question 10

Sapiens

Human spread

• 150,000 years ago, ________ was populated by modern Homo sapiens
• 70,000 years ago, all of ________ was populated by modern Homo sapiens, who then expanded out from ________
• Spreading through ________ 60,000 years ago, ________ and ________ 45,000 years ago, and to the ________ 16,000 years ago

Answer 10

Human spread

• 150,000 years ago, East Africa was populated by modern Homo sapiens
• 70,000 years ago, all of Africa was populated by modern Homo sapiens, who then expanded out from the African continent
• Spreading through China 60,000 years ago, Europe and Australia 45,000 years ago, and to the Americas 16,000 years ago

Question 11

Sapiens

When were most of the other Homo species (e.g., erectus, neanderthalensis, etc.) driven to extinction?

Answer 11

30,000 - 50,000 years ago

(Note: Homo floresciensis was around on their isolated Indonesian island as recently as 12,000 years ago!)

Question 12

Sapiens

True/False.

Humans are unique in their ability to communicate concepts between each other; they are also unique in that they produce very precise vocal cues.

Answer 12

False.

Many animals can communicate ideas to one another.

• Ants and bees can communicate the location of food
• Wolves communicate and work as packs
• Green monkeys have different calls for ‘lion’ and ‘eagle’
• Parrots can vocalize as well as humans

Question 13

Sapiens

Why is human communication valuable?

Answer 13

It can be used for communicating about social interactions, abstract ideas, collective fictions, and past/future events

• Allowing us to overcome Dunbar’s number (150)
• Allowing us to become zealots about fictious causes/countries/religions

Question 14

Sapiens

What does the book Sapiens propose is the key that allowed Homo sapiens to surpass Dunbar’s number?

Answer 14

The ability to communicate / buy into collective fictions

(e.g., myths, countries, religions, causes, morals, corporations, etc.)

Question 15

Sapiens

Once a group surpasses Dunbar’s number, what is needed to maintain social order?

Answer 15

Formal ranks, laws, titles, etc.

Question 16

Sapiens

What is the core idea that the book Sapiens proposes as to the importance of Homo sapiens’ ability to communicate about fictions?

Answer 16

Corporations, religions, countries, human rights, and all our other social constructs are ‘legal fictions’ (imagined realties that we all agree to collectively buy into); these imagined concepts are the glue that binds us together and allows us to surpass Dunbar’s number

Question 17

Sapiens

When did Homo sapiens myth-making first appear?

Answer 17

With the cognitive revolution (70,000 years ago)

Question 18

Sapiens

True/False.

Cultural evolution is much, much faster than genetic evolution, allowing for rapid changes in human behavior (social and otherwise) without necessarily changing human genomes.

Answer 18

True.

Question 19

Sapiens

According to the book Sapiens, _________ boundaries limit the scope of how human beings can behave, but _________/_________ evolution allows for a vast amount of play within those general limits.

Answer 19

According to the book Sapiens, genetic boundaries limit the scope of how human beings can behave, but social/cultural evolution allows for a vast amount of play within those general limits.