Imagine you are an archaeologist, and

you want to study the past human activity,

answer the following questions:
1. What specific evidences will you look
for?
2. What material evidence will you be
interested to know and learn about?
3. What technology will you use?
STUDY THIS PICTURE
BIOLOGICAL
EVOLUTION OF MAN
• At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
• Trace the biological evolution of early to modern humans,
and
• Recognize national, local, and specialized museums, and
archaeological and historical sites as venues to
appreciate and reflect on the complexities of biocultural
and social evolution as part of being and becoming
human.
• What does the biological evolution of man refer to?
• How can we trace the biological evolution of early to
modern humans?
• What physical and biological factors have greatly
developed throughout the evolution of the human
species?
 Biological Evolution of Man
• The biological evolution of man refers
to the long evolutionary history of the
human species from primates to its
current form, the Homo sapiens.
The Meaning and Significance of
Human Evolution
•Evolution is the process
of developing physical
and biological change in
a species over a period of
time.
• Natural changes and events forced
species to adapt to the environment
while some faced extinction for being
unable to do so.

• In this case, modern humans,

belonging to the genus Homo, are
seen as by-products of events and
processes that occurred in the past.
• Human evolution, however, must
not be seen as a linear process.
• Scientists argued that human
evolution developed much like the
branches of a tree wherein each
branch extends into smaller, more
specific stems.
•It just so happened that
among all stems, only one
evolutionary profile—the
current human being—was
able to adapt and further
develop.
The Transition from Early to Modern
Humans
• The biological transition of humans from its
earliest state to its current physical and
biological makeup took millions of years to
complete.
• Despite this, scientists, through the help of
archaeological pieces of evidence and
modern technology, were able to identify
and distinguish distinct transitional stages
of human evolution.
Homo Habilis
(2.4 to 1.4 million years ago)
Homo erectus
(1.9 million years ago)
Homo sapiens
( 400,000 years to present)
The Significance of Artifactual
Evidences in Understanding Evolution

• Artifactual
evidences are the only
source of knowledge in
understanding the
lifestyle and the
developments that
occurred in each
transitional stage of
human evolution.
• Early human species were
discovered
through fossils which are
remains preserved in rock.
• Scientists study the structure,
shape, and development of
skeletal properties including
head shape and teeth to
determine biological
differences across early to
modern species.
• Artifactual evidences
can also include
tools that are used
for hunting and
gathering or
symbolic writing
found in caves.
 Authentic examples of artifactual
evidences
• An antelope leg bone with cut
marks was recently
discovered in Africa.
• This prehistoric tool served as
evidence for early hunting
practices and carnivorous diet
among early stone-tool
making humans, the Oldowan
hominin.
• A cave discovered in South Africa filled with
carbonized leaves and grasses made archaeologists
believe that cooking food was practiced among early
humans.
Appreciating the Past through the
Present
• It is important for modern humans to learn about their
origins and developments. Nowadays, technological
advances has made delving into the past more
accessible.
• Interactive and national museums, for example, make
great venues for learning more about the prehistoric past.
• The great biological evolution that the human species has
been through is complex and developmental. As human
beings, we are called to understand and appreciate these
advances.
• Explore!
• The development of humans have persisted for millions of
years. These evolutionary processes have been greatly
influenced by natural phenomenon such as climate
change, natural disasters, or the development of other
species. Through research, explore how these natural
phenomena might have affected human evolutionary
development.
What do you think?
• Is there a possibility of finding evidence for a new human
species that existed in the past? Why? Why not?
• Human evolution always moves forward. It is unlikely that
humans will regress in terms of physical and biological
makeup in the coming centuries.

• Note that before the existence of the genus Homo, the

Australopithecines first emerged. They are the earlier part
of human evolutionary transition.
Keypoints
• Evolution is the process of developing physical and
biological change in a species over a period of time.
• Human evolution must not be seen as a linear process,
but rather as branches wherein each branch extends into
smaller, more specific stems.
• The transition from early to modern humans included
the Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and Homo
sapiens from the genus Homo.
• Fossils are artifactual remains that were preserved in
rock.