Scientific Story
Evolution—process by which one form
replaces another
Differentiation of forms by Natural
selection—
Science
Reliable—
others can see the same things you do—
repeatable
Valid—
you are measuring what you think you are
measuring—
pedometer measuring distance vs. steps.
Natural Selection
If you have some feature that lets more of
your offspring survive and grow up to
reproduce than those without it, then more
and more individuals in later generations
will come to share that feature.
That feature is adaptive.
Selective advantage.
SYSTEM
COLLECTION OF ELEMENTS
CONNECTED TOGETHER
SUCH THAT
IF YOU CHANGE ONE OF THEM
YOU CHANGE THE OTHERS
Walking
Free Hands
Use Tools
Rotate Pelvis
Larger Brains
Narrow Birth Canal
Premature Infants
AFFECT HUNGER
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HUNGER=A BUILT-IN URGE FOR AN
INDIVIDUAL TO MEET AN ESSENTIAL
PHYSICAL NEED
AFFECT=AFFECTION—HUNGER FOR
AFFECTION
URGE TO GET EXPRESSIONS OF APPROVAL
FROM OTHERS
BASED ON NEED FOR TACTILE (TOUCH)
STIMULATION TO DEVELOP NEWBORN’S
NERVOUS SYSTEM
AFFECT HUNGER
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A REWARD SYSTEM TO INSURE THAT
CHILDREN WANT TO DO WHAT THEIR
CARETAKERS WANT THEM TO DO
TO GET THEIR APPROVAL
SO THEY CAN AND DO LEARN TO
BEHAVE IN WAYS THEIR COMMUNITY
WANTS THEM TO
SELECTIVE ADVANTAGE
Use Tools
Ability to Learn
Affect Hunger
Premature Infants
Child Care
Long Dependency Period
Cooperative Food Getting
Food Sharing
Lower Aggression
Natural Selection
If you have some feature that lets more of
your offspring survive and grow up to
reproduce than those without it, then more
and more individuals in later generations will
come to share that feature.
That feature is adaptive
Selective advantage
Adaptive Features
1.
2.
3.
Walking
Tool use/making
Ability to Learn
Selection for


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
Larger brains
Bipedal locomotion
Solution-premature birth
Result is long period of dependency
Result of these processes is language and culture
Those who could walk and use tools had more
offspring than those who could not
Those who could walk and make tools had more
offspring than those who did not
Those who could deal with premature infants did
better than those who could not
+
sunshine
-
Vitamin D
-
+
-
ricketts
-
Skin cancer
Birth
folate
defects
+
melanin
+
Darkness of skin
Human Variation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Features don’t group together
Don’t form geographical patterns
Can’t distinguish populations
Therefore
Race is not biological
Race


Is a cultural and political category
In the U.S. used to justify slavery and
discrimination
CULTURE
THE SHARED PERCEPTION OF THE
UNIVERSE AND ITS CONTENTS, SEEN
AS A SYSTEMIC WHOLE, INCLUDING
THE PERCEPTIONS OF SELF AND THE
DELINEATION OF BEHAVIORAL
PROPRIETY
GOLDSCHMIDT 2006
EVOLUTION OVER SEVERAL MILLIONS
OF YEARS PRODUCES BIPEDAL
CREATURE THAT MAKES TOOLS
THAT’S ONE THRESHOLD BECAUSE IT’S
THE BEGINNING OF CULTURE AND
LANGUAGE

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
TOOLMAKING AND LANGUAGE COEVOLVED
AND PROVIDED SELECTIVE
ADVANTAGES
SO POPULATION INCREASED
AND CREATED PROBLEMS
PEOPLE COULD NOT INVENT AND
AGREE ON SOLUTIONS BECAUSE MANY
SOLUTIONS AREN’T DEMONSTRABLY
RIGHT OR WRONG
FOR INSTANCE
IF YOU THINK PUTTING FEATHERS ON
THE END OF AN ARROW WILL MAKE IT
FLY STRAIGHTER, YOU CAN TRY IT OUT
AND SEE—IF YOU’RE RIGHT, OTHERS
WILL AGREE
BUT
IT’S NOT OBVIOUS THAT ORGANIZING
INTO CLANS OR HAVING CLAN TOTEMS
IS USEFUL.
PEOPLE CAN ARGUE ABOUT SUCH
THINGS AND WAS NO EMPIRICAL WAY
TO RESOLVE THEM
PROBLEM
HOW TO REDUCE TENSIONS AND
MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO
COOPERATE
SOLUTION
SOME GROUP PERFORMANCE THAT GETS
PEOPLE TO ACT TOGETHER AND LETS
EVERYONE UNDERSTAND ACCEPT
EVERYONE ELSE’S ROLE
“MULTIMEDIA EVENTS THAT MAKE
EVERYBODY FEEL THE SAME WAY
ABOUT WHATEVER THE GROUP NEEDS
TO FEEL ABOUT”
THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF:
RITUAL
CULTURAL EVOLUTION

150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED
TOOLS


40,000-70,000 FIRST EVIDENCE OF RITUAL
150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED
TOOLS



20,000 CAVE ART OF EUROPE
40,000 FIRST EVIDENCE OF RITUAL
150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED
TOOLS




10,000 FIRST AGRICULTURE
20,000 CAVE ART OF EUROPE
40,000 FIRST EVIDENCE OF RITUAL
150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED
TOOLS





5,000
FIRST STATES
10,000 FIRST AGRICULTURE
20,000 CAVE ART OF EUROPE
40,000 FIRST EVIDENCE OF RITUAL
150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED
TOOLS






2,500
CLASSICAL GREECE
5,000
FIRST STATES
10,000 FIRST AGRICULTURE
20,000 CAVE ART OF EUROPE
40,000 FIRST EVIDENCE OF RITUAL
150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED
TOOLS
CULTURAL EVOLUTION
SOPHISTICATED
TOOLS
150,000
4,000,000
40,000