ArchaeologyLesson 1 of 2 in the course Early Humans

Early Human Evolution, Migration, Technology, and Symbolic Culture

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Human evolution is a long biological process shaped by environmental change, adaptation, and chance. This lesson introduces how scientists reconstruct our distant past and how evolutionary relationships are understood.

Biological evolution is change in populations over generations. Individuals do not evolve intentionally; inherited variations that help organisms survive and reproduce may become more common over time. In human evolution, changes in climate, diet, movement, and social life all formed part of the environment in which adaptations occurred.

All flashcards

What is biological evolution?
Change in inherited traits within populations over generations.
What is a genus?
A taxonomic rank that includes closely related species.
What evidence helps reconstruct early human history?
Fossils, tools and other archaeological remains, anatomical comparisons, and DNA.
What characterizes Mousterian tools?
Tool traditions that made use of flakes for tools such as knives and scrapers.
What is adaptability?
A population’s capacity to respond to environmental conditions through traits and behaviors.

Quiz questions

  1. What practical effect did upright walking have for Homo erectus?Answer: It freed the hands for carrying and manipulating objects.
  2. What does the out of Africa model propose about modern humans?Answer: They emerged in Africa and later spread around the world, sometimes mixing with other groups.
  3. How were Oldowan tools typically made?Answer: Rocks were struck together to create sharp edges.
  4. Why do researchers infer that early people used watercraft to reach Australia?Answer: The route required crossing stretches of water.
  5. What is a careful way to interpret Paleolithic art?Answer: Separate observable features from hypotheses about what the art meant.

Based on World History Volume 1, to 1500 by Ann Kordas, Ryan J. Lynch, Brooke Nelson, Julie Tatlock (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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