Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region I
Pangasinan Division II
MANAOAG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Manaoag, Pangasinan

UCSP
Understanding Culture,
Society and Politics
First Quarter
Module 4 – Week 4

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 HUMAN ORIGIN AND THE
CAPACITY FOR CULTURE
Learning Module No. 4
Week 4 of 6
Content Standards:
1. the human origins and the capacity for culture;
2. the role of culture in human adaptation; and
3. processes of cultural and sociopolitical evolution
Most Essential Learning Competencies: Analyze the significance
of cultural, social, political and economic symbols and practices
Objectives: After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. Enumerate and discuss the human origin;
2. Differentiate biological and cultural evolution; and
3. Appreciate the role of culture in human adaptation
_________________________________________________________________
LOOKING BACK AT THE HUMAN BIOCULTURAL AND SOCIAL
EVOLUTION
The origins of modern humans can be explained by studying
the biological, social, and cultural evolution.
Biological evolution explains the physical transformation of
modern humans from hominids into thinking modern
humans or Homo sapiens sapiens.
Humans developed and modified their culture through time
as a response to the threats and challenges posed by their
environment.

BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL EVOLUTION: FROM

AUSTRALOPITHECUS TO HOMO SAPIENS
The origins of development of modern humans can be
explained through the study of biological and cultural
evolution.
Biological and cultural evolutions are key concepts in the
study of the origins of modern humans.

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BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION – refers to the changes, modifications,
and variations in the genetics and inherited traits of biological
populations from one generation to another.
Evolution is diverse and it occurs in different levels of the
biological population.
It can occur in the level of species of organisms and even in
the molecular level.
In studying biological evolution, scientists study the changes
in the physical body of humans, the changes in the changes
in the shape and size of their bones, brain, dentition, and
fingers for instance.
Included in the study of biological evolution are the changes
in posture, movement, and the development of bipedalism or
walking on two feet in an upright position.
CULTURAL EVOLUTION OR SOCIOCULTURAL EVOLUTION –
refers to the changes or development in cultures from a simple
form to a more complex form of human culture.
Sociocultural evolution happens as a result of human
adaptation to different factors like climatic changes and
population increase.
Scientist’s study the cultural evolution of humans by
analyzing the changes in the latter’s way of life reflected in
the different tools and other human-made objects that they
have used.
BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION is based on the theory of evolution
that was introduced by the famous English naturalist and
geologist Charles Darwin.
Darwin, after conducting numerous studies regarding the
changes that occur among plants, fossil animals, and
different breeds of pigeons, concluded that each species was
not created at one time in a fixed form.
Because of the result of his studies, he introduced the
concept of evolution to explain the origins of modern humans.
What is Charles Darwin’s view on evolution?
In his study, Darwin hypothesized that the evolution of
species happens through the process of natural selection.

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 Natural Selection, according to Darwin, was the reason for
the occurrence of evolution.
According to Darwin, the environment favors certain
organism and those organism that survive can pass on their
traits.
THREE IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE OF NATURAL SELECTION
1. VARIATION
o Every species is made up of a variety of individuals wherein
some are better adapted to their environments compared to
others.
2. HERITABILITY
o Organisms produced progeny with different sets of traits
that can be inherited.
3. DIFFERENTIAL REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESSS
o Organisms that have traits most suitable to their
environment will survive and transfer these variations to
their offspring in subsequent generations.
FROM HOMINIDS TO HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS: THE
BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL EVOLUTION OF MODERN
HUMANS
For many generations, scientists believed that the evolution of
modern humans follows an evolutionary ladder.
This evolutionary ladder illustrates the apelike ancestors of
modern humans at the base and the modern humans (Homo
sapiens sapiens) at the top.
The transformation from apelike ancestors to modern
humans occurred after millions of years of biological and
cultural evolution.
In this long process of evolutio, our apelike ancestors
developed and eventually became modern humans (Homo
sapiens sapiens)

https://images.app.goo.gl/d9TkUd2hTGJ4CLaG8

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 In order to understand the development of humans,
archaeologists or social scientist who study the ancient and
recent past of humans conduct excavations to research for
fossils and artifacts that can provide information about the
origins of humans.
For archaeologists, artifacts and fossils are important sources
of information in the reconstruction of human evolution.
o FOSSILS – refer to human, plant, and animal remains that
have been preserved through time like human or animal
teeth, skull, and bone fragments.
o ARTIFACTS – refer to objects that were made and used by
humans like stone tools, metal tools, ceramics, burial jars,
and ornaments.

https://images.app.goo.gl/1U46FRHh2n4v4D5PA https://images.app.goo.gl/mfoa4KKuwAbrG44Y7

HOMINID
The general term used by scientists to categorized the group
of early humans and other humanlike creatures that can
walk erect during the prehistoric times.
There are four categories of hominids based on the age of the
artifacts and fossils that were found. These are
Sahelanthropus , Ardipithecus, Australopithecus, and Homo
Among the four, it was the Australopithecus and the Homo
that had the most number of species based on the fossils and
artifacts that were excavated by archaeologists.
Many scholars consider the Australopithecus as the first
stage of human evolution and the Homo as the last stage.
The Australopithecus, together with the Sahelanthropus and
Ardipithecus are considered as the prehuman stage of
evolution, while the homo is part of the human stage of
evolution.

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In general, the Sahelanthropus, Australopithecus, and
Ardipithecus had both apelike and humanlike characteristics.
On the other hand, the Homo had biological and cultural
characteristics of a modern human.

THE E V O L U T I O N OF MAN
6 million years ago – The Human lineage
split from chimpanzees, our closest known
relatives.

3 million years ago – Australopithecus

afarensis, an early hominid ( an early
humans which walked on two legs) lived in
eastern Africa. The species was similar to
apes in terms of brain size, diet and biology.
the 3.2 million –year –old Australopithecus
afararensis fossil named ”Lucy” was
considered as one of modern human’s
earliest ancestors and remains as the most
famous hominid fossil discovered.
Lucy was discovered in Hadar, Ethiopia in
November 1974 by paleoanthropologist led
by Dr. Donald Johanson.
2.2 million years ago – Homo Habilis lived
in Africa and had a short body., with ape-like
arms, as well as large brain.
Homo habilis meaning ‘ able man’ or ‘handy
man’
1.8 million years ago – Homo Erectus, the
oldest known species to have a human –like
body, left Africa. This species had fairly
modern features, with a brain 60 to 70
percent of the size of a human.
They are known for making complex tools
used for digging, cutting and scrapping.

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They are believed to be a skillful hunters.
Homo erectus meaning ‘upright man’
It was also believed that the Homo erectus
was the first Homo to use spoken language.
In 1811, Eugene Dubois, a Dutch anatomist
and geologist, excavated a skull of Homo
erectus in Trinil, Java, Indonesia.
The fossil became known as the ‘Java Man’
and it was dated to be 1.8 million years of
age.
In 1920, another Homo erectus skull was
excavated in a cave in Zhoukoudian , China.
This became known as the ‘Peking Man’
and it was estimated to have lived about 1.1
million to 1 million years ago.
1 million years ago – Primitive human
ancestors arrive in Europe
900,000 years ago – Species related to
Homo antecessor or Pioneer Man, believed to
have lived after a footprint was found on a
beach in Norfolk (England)
Compared to other Homo species, the Homo
Sapiens made sophisticated and
smoothened tools and had more developed
shelters and advanced technology.
They were able to make different stone tools
that includes fishing tools (hooks), harpoons,
bows and arrows, spear throwers, and
sewing needles.
Despites the argument that the Homo erectus
developed oral languages, some
anthropologists believed that it was the Homo
sapiens (thinking man) who were the first
to develop and use oral languages because
they have more developed brains and speech
organs.

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 400,000-600,000 years ago –
Neanderthals appeared, and existed in
western Eurasia from about 200,000 years
ago. They are believed to have overlapped
with humans between 50,000 and 30,000
years ago in western Eurasia, and had
slightly larger brains than humans.
For many years, the Homo neanderthalensis
and the Cro-Magnon were considered as
examples of the first group of Homo sapiens.
However, in 1997, after conducting DNA
analysis of the Neanderthal, it was proven
that the Neanderthal is not an ancestor of
modern humans.
Because of this discovery, the Cro-Magnon is
now the first fossil skeleton to be considered
as a species of the Homo sapiens, called as
the Homo sapiens sapiens (wise man).
Cro-Magnon fossils and artifacts were first
found in Europe but it is believed that the first
Cro-Mangon appeared in North Africa and
later on travalled to Europe and Asia.

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF MAN AND APES

MAN APES
BIPEDAL ▪ Man walks on ▪ They walk on all
LOCOMOTION hind limbs only the four arms
▪ Fore limbs and ▪ Apes are still tree
hands are freed dwellers
for manupulatory
and other
functions
UPRIGHT ▪ Hind limbs are ▪ Forelimbs are
POSTURE/MUSCULO- longer than longer that hind
SKELETON forelimbs limbs

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 ▪ Abdominal region ▪ Lumbar curve is
is short and absent
thorax became ▪ Skull is balanced
broad and flat at right angle to
▪ Lumbar curve is the vertebral
present column
▪ Tail is absent
▪ Skull is balanced
straight on
vertical column
FACE ▪ Orthognathous ▪ Prognathous type
type ▪ Simian shelf is
▪ Simian shelf present
absent ▪ Chin is absent
▪ Chin is present ▪ Heavy ridges of
▪ Eye brow ridges bone project over
absent the eyes
▪ Forehead is ▪ Forehead is
straight slanting
▪ Canines small ▪ Canines large
and protruding
TEETH ▪ Dental arch is ▪ Dental arch is
rounded parabola straight sided U
▪ Canines not ▪ Canines are
projecting large and
▪ Incisors are small projecting
▪ Simian gap is forming tusks
absent ▪ Incisors are large
▪ Simian gap
(diastema) is
present in upper
jaw between
incisors and
canines
BRAIN AND CRANIAL ▪ Cranial cavity is ▪ It is 450-600cc
CAVITY more voluminous
averaging 1350-
2000cc or even
more

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 FOOD ▪ Omnivorous ▪ Herbivorous
BINOCULAR VISION ▪ man has large forwardly directed eyes
giving stereocropic vision
▪ rod and cane cells are present in retina
OLFACTORY LOBES ▪ Less developed in man as compared to
apes
HEARING CAPACITY ▪ Less in man
BREEDING ▪ Low in human than apes
CAPACITY

REFERNCES
http://www.slideshare.net/Dexvortex/origin-ofhumans-
8211095?from_m_app=android
http://www.slideshare.net/Akumpaul/human-evolution-
48555299?from_m_app=android
http://www.slideshare.net/aymanrefaat/culture-
49462192?from_m_app=android
http://www.slideshare.net/Angeliqueart2001/sociology1?from_m_app=and
roid
http://www.slideshare.net/surabhi2710/introduction-to-
culture?from_m_app=android
http://www.slideshare.net/angelitamontilla/chapter-1-
121089533?from_m_app=android
http://www.slideshare.net/chinnex23/sociology-ppt?from_m_app=android

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 Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region I
Pangasinan Division II
MANAOAG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Manaoag, Pangasinan
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

ACTIVITY 1: MODIFIED TRUE OR FALSE

Directions: Read the statement/s carefully. Write PHILIPPINES if
the statement/s are correct otherwise write CHINA if the
statement/s is incorrect then change the underlined word or group
of words to make the statement correct. Write your answer on the space
provided before the number.
__________________ 1. The origins of modern humans can be explained by
studying the biological, social, and humane evolution.
__________________ 2. Failure of Empathy refers to the prevalent inaction,
indifference, lack of emotion and interest of the people in regard to the
issues and concerns which need attention and resolution.
__________________ 3. Fossils refers to human, plant, and animal remains
that have been preserved through time like human or animal tooth, spinal
cord, and bone fragments.
__________________ 4. Joicy was considered as one of modern human’s
earliest ancestors and remains as the most famous hominid fossil
discovered.
__________________ 5. Human are omnivorous while monkeys are
herbivorous.

ACTIVITY 3: REVEAL ME!

Direction: CRYPTOGRAM is a type of puzzle that consists of a
short piece of encrypted text. Each letter is replaced by a number as
represented in the box below. Solve the following encrypted text to reveal
the concepts.
1. Cro-Magnon considered as the first fossil skeleton to be considered
as a species of the ___________________ called as the Homo sapiens
sapiens or 2. __________________.

8 15 13 15 19 1 16 9 5 14 19

23 9 19 5 13 1 14

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 3. It refers to the changes, modifications, and variations in the
genetics and inherited traits of biological populations from one
generation to another.
2 9 15 12 15 7 9 3 1 12 5 22 15 12 21 20 9 15 14

4. Lucy was discovered in Hadar, Ethiopia in November 1974 by

Paleoanthropologist led by _____________.
4 15 14 1 12 4 10 15 8 1 14 19 15 14

5. Organisms produced progeny with different sets of traits that

can be inherited.
8 5 18 9 20 1 2 9 12 9 20 25

ACTIVITY 3: DRAW ME!

Direction: Choose ONE of the Stages of Human Evolution
and draw it on a short bond paper.

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