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Questions and Answers
What is one major disadvantage of domestication highlighted in the content?
What is one major disadvantage of domestication highlighted in the content?
Which historical example illustrates the risk of monoculture farming?
Which historical example illustrates the risk of monoculture farming?
How did early humans adapt their shelter according to their living conditions?
How did early humans adapt their shelter according to their living conditions?
What was a consequence of the selective breeding of domesticated animals?
What was a consequence of the selective breeding of domesticated animals?
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What is one of the outcomes of human diseases evolving from animal diseases?
What is one of the outcomes of human diseases evolving from animal diseases?
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What advantage did Homo erectus have over other species in cold climates?
What advantage did Homo erectus have over other species in cold climates?
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Which of the following statements about hunter-gatherers is true?
Which of the following statements about hunter-gatherers is true?
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What was a significant reason for the domestication of plants and animals?
What was a significant reason for the domestication of plants and animals?
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How did clothing enhance survival for early humans?
How did clothing enhance survival for early humans?
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What signifies the role of spiritual beliefs in human evolution?
What signifies the role of spiritual beliefs in human evolution?
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What indicates that domestication of animals likely preceded that of plants?
What indicates that domestication of animals likely preceded that of plants?
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Which factor contributed to the significant lifestyle change from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies?
Which factor contributed to the significant lifestyle change from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies?
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What was one of the cultural benefits of domestication?
What was one of the cultural benefits of domestication?
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What skeletal change in the scapula and clavicle provided adaptive advantages for hunters?
What skeletal change in the scapula and clavicle provided adaptive advantages for hunters?
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How did the shape change of the pelvis contribute to bipedalism?
How did the shape change of the pelvis contribute to bipedalism?
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What cranial change allowed for brain expansion during the adaptation to a softer diet?
What cranial change allowed for brain expansion during the adaptation to a softer diet?
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What was one major survival advantage of bipedalism in the changing environment?
What was one major survival advantage of bipedalism in the changing environment?
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The shift in diet from hard plant material to softer meat led to which of the following cranial changes?
The shift in diet from hard plant material to softer meat led to which of the following cranial changes?
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What environmental change is believed to have driven the evolution of bipedalism?
What environmental change is believed to have driven the evolution of bipedalism?
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What is one reason the brow ridges reduced in size during the evolution of bipedal hominins?
What is one reason the brow ridges reduced in size during the evolution of bipedal hominins?
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Which feature of bipedalism allowed early hominins to have a better vantage point?
Which feature of bipedalism allowed early hominins to have a better vantage point?
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Study Notes
Belief in the Afterlife
- The belief in an afterlife suggests advanced cognitive abilities in humans.
- Complex abstract thought is required to be able to imagine and conceptualize life after death.
- Rituals associated with death are likely evidence of belief systems and the attempt to communicate with departed loved ones.
### The Evolution of Clothing
- The use of clothing evolved over time, with early hominins likely wearing basic, rudimentary coverings.
- Homo neanderthalensis used bone punches to create clothing, suggesting their garments were not very elaborate.
- Homo erectus had more specialized tools, leading to better-tailored clothing providing more protection from the cold, giving them a competitive advantage.
- Clothing conferred a survival advantage, providing warmth especially in colder climates like Europe during the ice ages.
- Footwear like shoes also significantly improved survival by allowing hominins to walk further distances.
Hunter-Gatherer Lifestyle
- Hunter-gatherers lived nomadically, moving in small groups, and relying on a division of labor to gather food.
- Women are believed to have gathered plants, and men hunted animals.
- Hunter-gatherers had simple, temporary shelters as they moved constantly.
- Their movements followed the availability of resources, such as migrating animals, plants and seasonal changes.
Farming and Agriculture
- Farming led to a more sedentary lifestyle, with larger groups and permanent settlements.
- Farmers cultivated land, domesticated animals and plants, and altered their environment to optimize food production..
- Farming provided a reliable, continuous food source, reducing the need for nomadic movements.
Domestication of Animals and Plants
- Domestication refers to the process of bringing animals and plants under human control.
- Animal domestication is believed to have preceded plant domestication.
- Factors driving domestication include:
- Climate change leading to warmer, moister conditions favorable for agriculture
- Increased population and pressure on available food sources
- Advancement in cultural evolution
Advantages of Domestication
- Domestication created a stable food supply from local resources, supporting the development of permanent settlements.
- Greater availability of food and enhanced nutrition increased survival rates in large populations.
- Warmer climates allowed crops to be grown near settlements, reducing travel and conserving energy.
- Domestication facilitated trade with other groups contributing to cultural evolution.
Skeletal Changes in Early Hominins
- Scapula and Clavicle: The scapula moved back and flattened against the ribcage, and the clavicle became elongated. This position allowed the arm to hang along the side of the body improving throwing power and accuracy for hunting.
- Spine: transitioned from a C-shape to an S-shape. This shifted the center of gravity towards the lower back and pelvis, promoting bipedal movement.
- Pelvis: Changed from a box shape to a bowl shape. This dispersed the center of gravity evenly throughout the legs, improving balance and reducing swaying during bipedal walking.
Cranial Changes in Early Hominins
- Sagittal Crest: Reduced in size due to a shift from a diet of hard plant material to softer meat. The jaw decreased in size, freeing up energy for brain expansion.
- Brow Ridges: Also reduced in size as the jaw muscles lessened, freeing up face space for cranial cavity growth, allowing the brain to expand.
- Mandible: The mandible reduced in size due to the change in diet. This was used to redirect energy towards brain expansion, resulting in a rounder skull shape.
Bipedalism and the Environment
- Selection Pressure: The environmental shift from dense forests to open savannahs with scattered food sources made bipedalism a more advantageous way of moving around.
- Survival Advantage: Bipedalism is energy-efficient over long distances, allowing hominins to access food and water. This increased their survival and reproductive success, driving the prevalence of bipedal alleles in populations.
- Height and Vision: Bipedalism enabled hominins to see over tall trees and grass, increasing food and prey detection.
Disadvantages of Domestication
- Years of selective breeding can make domesticated animals and plants dependent on human intervention for survival.
- Domesticated societies remained vulnerable to natural disasters like floods and droughts that could damage crops.
- Monoculture farming can lead to widespread crop failure in the event of a disease, like the potato famine in Ireland
- Human diseases have evolved from animal diseases, such as smallpox from cowpox.
- Permanent settlements caused pollution problems.
Evolution of Shelter
- Early hominins used natural shelters like caves, especially during the ice ages for protection from weather elements.
- Hunter-gatherers built temporary shelters such as tents that moved with them.
- Permanent settlements led to the construction of small homes and dwellings as farmers remained in one place.
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