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14 Human Origin and Evolution Module : 05 Evolutionary Revolution Paper No. : 14 Human Origin and Evolution Module : 05 Evolutionary Revolution Development Team Principal Investigator Prof. Anup Kumar Kapoor Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi Dr. Satwanti Kapoor (Retd Professor) Paper Coordinator Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi Ms. Sangeeta Dey & Prof. A. K. Kapoor Content Writer Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi Prof. R.K. Pathak Content Reviewer Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh 1 Evolutionary Revolution Anthropology Description of Module Subject Name Anthropology Paper Name Human Origin and Evolution Module Name/Title Evolutionary Revolution Module Id 05 Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Evolution stages of humans 3. Cultural Evolutionary revolution 3.1. The Stone Age 3.1.1. Paleolithic 3.1.2. Mesolithic 3.1.3. Neolithic 3.2. The Bronze Age 3.3. The Iron Age 4. Evolutionary development of brain and cognition power 5. Evolution of communication skills 6. Domestication of Plants and animals 7. Indus valley civilization 8. Emergence of cities, states and Civilization 8.1. The Bands 8.2. The Tribes 8.3. The Chiefdoms 8.4. The Emergence of States 9. Summary 2 Evolutionary Revolution Anthropology Learning Objectives: To describe process of evolution and its impact To understand the progressive evolution of human ancestors To describe cultural evolutionary phases and eras To know about factors that lead to emergence of cities, states and civilization To understand impact of evolutionary changes for cultural tool technologies To explore the importance of development of brain, speech, language in evolving human beings 1. Introduction Evolution is the gradual process by which the present diversity of plants and animals arose from the earliest and most primitive organisms. Evolution is a process of social and cultural change in a definite direction particularly from a simple to complex state. This can be from a state of homogeneity to a state of heterogeneity. Evolution of a culture refers to the development of culture and society through progressively more complex stages. Evolution is a continuous process of diversification and integration. It shows onward and upward movement generating process and even increasing complexity. It involves a change in the form, structure and organization of a culture or a society. When we speak of evolution of an organism we refer to the emergence of certain organisms from other organisms. It is believed that every species was individually created by God in the form in which it exists today and is not capable of undergoing any change. This is referred as theory of special creation. Special creation was contradicted by fossil evidence and genetic studies, and the pseudoscientific arguments of creation science cannot stand up to logical examination. It was the generally accepted explanation of origin of the origin of life until the advent of Darwinism. However, Lamarck is the first biologist to publish a theory to explain how one species could have evolved into another. He suggested that changes in an individual are acquired during its lifetime, chiefly by increased use or disuse of organs in response to “a need that continues to make itself felt” and that these changes are inherited by its offspring. 3 Evolutionary Revolution Anthropology Thus the long neck and limbs of a giraffe are explained as having evolved by the animal stretching its neck to browse on the foliage of trees. This is also called as inheritance of acquired characteristics. But it was not until the publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species in 1859 that special creation was seriously challenged. Unlike Lamarck, Darwin proposed a feasible mechanism for evolution and comparative anatomy. The modern version of Darwinism which incorporates discoveries in genetics remains the most acceptable theory of evolution. Man has evolved both physically and culturally. Cultural evolution is the most important in understanding the evolutionary revolution of human beings. Culture is design for the living. It guides the member for behaving, feeling, responding, thinking and making survival possible. Evolution of culture dimension promotes adjustment of people to environment and adjustment among themselves. Cultural processes also bring changes in a specific part of a culture or in all the parts. Specific changes can be anything like change in the technology of tool making skills, economic life, social organization and political life etc. 2. Evolutionary stages of humans About 15 million years ago, primates called Dryopithecus and Ramapithecus were existing on the earth. They were hairy and walked like gorillas and chimpanzees. Ramapithecus was more like while Dryopithecus was more ape like. So, they were the forerunners of hominids. Progress was made further when a skull was discovered about 5 million years ago. It had a brain size of about 500 cm3 within the range of ape brain but its jaw and teeth were human like. It was probably not taller than 4 feet but walked up right. It was named as Australopithecus africanus which lived in East Africa grass lands. Evidence shows they hunted with stone weapons but essentially ate fruits. 4 Evolutionary Revolution Anthropology From the Australopithecus evolved the Homo Habilis (the Handy man) which was characterized by having a larger brain than Australopithecus (650 – 800 c.c.), using tools and being bipedal. They probably did not eat meat. Homo erectus appeared about 1.5 million years ago. Its brain capacity increased to about 800 – 1200 c.c. and they migrated to Asia and Europe. Fossils of Java man and Peking man belong to Homo erectus. They probably ate meat. Homo erectus later replaced by Homo sapiens. There were several sub-species of H. sapiens, a wide spread one of which was Homo sapiens Neanderthals (Neanderthal man), a large brained game hunter. The Neanderthal man with a brain size of 1400 c.c. lived in near east and central Asia between 10000 – 40000 years back. They used hides to protect their body and buried their dead bodies. The oldest remains of H. Sapiens sapiens (cro-magnum) appeared around 35000 years ago, probably having evolved from Neanderthal man. They were as large-brained (1500 c.c.) as they are today and existed as hunter gatherers in co-operative bands. They were stout, short and used hides for clothing. They built their huts and buries their dead bodies. 3. Cultural Evolutionary Revolution Each stage of hominid organic evolution seems to have been accompanied by the major advances in Cultural Revolution. Because stone tools are relatively indestructible, much of early cultural evolution is represented by the evolution of tool industries. The importance of tools as molders of hominid evolution has been recognized for a long time. Upright posture, leaving the hands free to manipulate objects and carry things form long distances, certainly is dynamically connected with the adoption of tool use by early hominids. In order for a tool to be useful, one must have it with him when the moment arises to put it to 5 Evolutionary Revolution Anthropology work. This takes making the tool in advance – planning; walking on two legs to free one’s hands to carry the tool; and commitment to using the tool. Those parts of the human brain most needed for manipulating tools are well evolved. Aside from the ones mentioned, other highly developed areas include the frontal lobes that organize behaviour into sequences and the motor association areas that control the fingers and the thumbs. The hand itself is marvellously evolved, It combines the powerful curled – fingered grip with which heavy objects can be moved, with the delicate manipulations possible when small objects are held between the fingers and the thumb (and the ability to fully oppose the thumb to all the fingers is uniquely human. Thus, much of what we take for granted about man today is the result of natural selection operating on his ancestors, adapting them to an environment he himself has created (or began to create): tools. But culture is more than just tools. According to the latest archaeological data available the cultural evolutionary stages of human ancestors can be described into a three age system: the Stone Age, Bronze Age and the Iron Age. 3.1. The Stone Age This age is distributed in different chrono-cultural ages such as Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic. 6 Evolutionary Revolution Anthropology https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja& uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi548je293VAhVJMo8KHaXYBgYQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2 F%2Fwww.whatchristianswanttoknow.com%2Fwhat-does-the-bible-say-about- cavemen-or-the-stone- age%2F&psig=AFQjCNHKhGSQtLxk09Z556otQL2cUVsclA&ust=150303944925184 2 3.1.1. Paleolithic The term paleolithic commonly used initially referred to the stage in which humans made chipped stone tools. The stage also represent the earliest of human cultures occur within the Pleistocene period. This essentially comprises stone tools prepared with low expenditure of energy in their manufacture. The subsistence economy at this stage by definition is hunting and gathering. Human culture is recorded in the form of quartz or quartzite pebbles which have been shaped by our earliest culture making ancestors. This has been excavated from Olduvian beds in east Africa. However, the earliest culture in Europe is known from Clacton- on-sea in Great Britain and Terra Amata in French Riviera. The time span of Paleolithic is too wide to be studies under one banner. Hence, it is further subdivided into three distinct phases as suggested for the first time by Lartet in 1870. 7 Evolutionary Revolution Anthropology Lower Paleolithic: On the basis of the number of excellently excavated and recorded sites the entire lower Paleolithic of Europe is studied under two litho – cultural traditions. Here the implications of the term litho-cultural for a layman’s understandings is that since the available cultural remains of this period is largely stone tools, these are used as the basis of deriving various cultural features from this period.
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