1. Theories on the
Evolution of Man
Source: Understanding Culture, Society and Politics
(Angelita D. Damilig, et al.)
2. What are the stories you know about
the origin of man?
3. Objectives:
• Distinguish the different stages of human evolution and its
significance in society.
• Describe the characteristics of each stage of human evolution.
• Illustrate the evolution of man based on the discussion.
4. Activity No. 1 (NUMBERED HEADS)
Each group member is given a number (1,2,3,4 etc.). The teacher
then asks the class a question and each group must come together
to find an answer. After the time is up the teacher calls a number
and only the student with that number may answer the question.
5. Guide Questions:
1. Do you know Charles Darwin? Are you familiar of his
Evolution of Man?
2. Do you believe in his study on the origin of man?
3. Can you site evidences to prove his theory about the evolution
of man?
4. What is your opinion on the study of Charles Darwin?
7. Every person needs to understand his/her origin, aside from myths,
legends and religious stories- anthropology has an answer to the
question, “Where did I came from?”. In the field of biocultural
evolution, it gives us a clear explanation which is based on scientific
researches and fossils.
8. Biocultural Evolution
Is studied through archaeology. Archaeology is concerned with
cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and physical
anthropology. Archaeology aims at understanding humankind using
activities that are human in nature.
9. Why are scientists certain that human evolution
happened?
Nearly 99% of our generic sequences are the same with
chimpanzees and bonobos, which according to study strongly
suggests that we share common ancestry. Aside from this, there are
thousands of fossils documenting progressively more humanlike
species in the evolution of our lineage after it split from the other
great apes and later from chimps and bonobos.
10. What are the major milestones in human
evolution?
Proconsul (20-25 million years ago)- genus of primate that
existed during the Miocene epoch. The fossils of this primate are
present in Eastern Africa including Kenya and Uganda.
11. What are the major milestones in human
evolution?
Paranthropus
1. Paranthropus Boisei is first discovered by Mary Leaky in
1959, and is first termed Zinjanthropus Boisei or Zinj. The oldest
P. Boisei is found at Omo, Ethiopia and dates to approximately
2.3 million years ago, while the youngest is found at Olduvai
Gorge, and dates approximately 1.2 million years ago.
12. What are the major milestones in human
evolution?
Paranthropus
1. Paranthropus Boisei has a larger cranial capacity (500-550
cc), a more vertically set face, and a sagittal crest on the mid-
brain case, as opposed to the posterior.
13. What are the major milestones in human
evolution?
Paranthropus
2. Paranthropus Aethiopicus found by a French expedition
led by Camille Arambourg and Yves Coppens in Southern
Ethiopia in 1967. The most famous specimen of P. Aethiopicus
is discovered west of Lake Turkana and dated 2.5 million years
old.
14. What are the major milestones in human
evolution?
Paranthropus
3. Paranthropus Robustus is believed to have lived from 2-
1 million years ago. The species has a significantly larger cranial
capacity than A. Africanus, and is more similar to a modern
brain.
15. What are the major milestones in human
evolution?
Australopheticus is the earliest undisputed members of our
lineage to regularly walk upright are the Australopithecus
Afarensis, of which the most famous is Lucy’s species. She lived in
Ethiopia 3.2 million years ago and discovered in 1974 by Donald
Johanson. When Lucy is found, she is 40% intact (her skeleton).
Her name came from the song of the Beatles, “Lucy in the Sky
with Diamonds”.
16. What are the major milestones in human
evolution?
Homo Erectus which means “upright human”, is an extinct
species of hominid that lived throughout most of the Pleistocene
geological epoch. It’s earliest fossil evidence dates to 1.9 million
years ago. They are successful in creating cultural technologies like
the use of stone tools.
17. What are the major milestones in human
evolution?
Neanderthal Man is a species of genus Homo that settled in
Europe and some parts of Western Asia from about 230,000-
29000 years ago (Middle Paleolithic and Lower Paleolithic in the
Pleistocene epoch). They adapted to cold climate which is evident
in their larger brains. They are short but with full-bodied builds
and large nose which are promoted by natural selection in cold
climates.
18. What are the major milestones in human
evolution?
Neanderthal Man
One of the most distinguished practices of these
Neanderthals is the burial of their dead, which include grave goods
as bison and aurochs bones, tools, and the pigment orange.
19. What are the major milestones in human
evolution?
Cro-Magnon Man is the name of the rock shelter near
Dordogne France where skeletons are found in 1868. These
human remains are of the Upper Paleolithic period about 40,000-
10,000 years ago. Cro-Magnons are robustly built and powerful
and presumed to have been about 5 feet f inches to 5 feet 7
inches tall.
20. What are the major milestones in human
evolution?
Cro-Magnon Man are settled people, moving only when necessary
to find new hunting or because of environmental changes. Like the
Neanderthals, the Cro-Magnons people buried their dead. They had
developed a skill of carving and sculpturing small engravings, reliefs,
and statuettes not only of humans but also of animals. The
invention of cooking allowed these species to gain more energy
from meat, which fueled the dramatic evolution of the human brain.
21. Where did all these happen and why does it
matter?
Based on the evidences collected by anthropologists and
paleontologists, human evolution happened in Africa. Knowing
where our species evolved matters because the environment it
adapted helped shape the genetic makeup still we carry today.
22. Activity No. 3: WRITE YOUR OWN SHORT
STORY ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF MAN.
Avoid stories similar to popular stories of creation.
23. ASSIGNMENT: Watch the movie “THE
CROODS” and answer the following questions.
1. How important is the fire as presented in the movie?
2. Enumerate some discovery of Guy which make sense today?
3. Does the movie help you understand the evolution of man and the
evolution of society?
4. Explain the phrase, “Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning”.
How did Eep showed the advantage and disadvantage of being too
curious in the movie?
