The only, solid and original evidence of symbolic communication is in _stone_ tools ( made by design !). Thus, the famous name “Stone Age” as the origin of human beings, as humans are defined by having symbolic communication. The Stone Age is covered in Chapters 14 and 15 of the text , with the genus Homo. The first humans probably made tools by design in wood and bone. However, they dissolved, unlike stone, and no longer exist.

February 13, 2023 Anthropology 153 – Lecture 4

In the first classes I have emphasized the importance of symbolic communication (language and culture) in the origin, evolution and Darwinian adaptation/fitness for humans, that is the genus Homo. I want to be clear that for test 1 ,the early hominin fossils you are answering questions about_ have no stone tools made with symbolic thinking artifacts associated with them_. That is no early hominin fossils – ardipithecus ,Sahelanthropus, Orrorin, ( discussed at the end of Chapter 12), nor Paranthropus, Australopethicus , Kenyanthropus (discussed in Chapter 13)- have stone tool artifacts made by design or according to a pattern or in a style found with them.

The only, solid and original evidence of symbolic communication is in _stone_ tools ( made by design !). Thus, the famous name “Stone Age” as the origin of human beings, as humans are defined by having symbolic communication. The Stone Age is covered in Chapters 14 and 15 of the text , with the genus Homo. The first humans probably made tools by design in wood and bone. However, they dissolved, unlike stone, and no longer exist.

So, symbolic
communication, language and culture will be part of Test 2, not Test 1.

The beginning of the Summary (page 320) of the second part of Chapter 13 says: “Four of the most significant features of the Hominini are erect bipedalism, reduction in size of the dentition (teeth), manufacturing tools, and enlargement of the brain.’

I would criticize and modify this. Manufacturing tools BY DESIGN and enlargement of the brain ( two things that are connected to each other) does not “occur” in the Chapter 13 period of the earliest hominins. They start in the Chapter 13 period.

All the evidence of primate evolution to early hominins in Chapter 13 is fossil bones. Chapter 11, page 237 of the text explains how physics and chemistry is used to date fossils from extraordinarily long ago , millions and even billions of years ago. These natural scientific proofs are summarized on Page 260. Page

311 of the text

puts forth several hypotheses as to how erect, natural, habitual bipedalism was _selected for in the Darwinian sense_ that is, how it led to growth in the population size of the hominin primates.

Also from other text: I add what I call the “sports hypotheses: Baseball:

pitchers have more leverage in throwing the ball when standing erect as opposed to standing on bent over quadrapedally; and so they can throw with more force a more effective defense weapon. Thereby they are likely to survive more predator attacks ; and would be more likely to reproduce. Batters can swing a bat/club with more force.

Football: Can run/walk while carrying babies and children in their arms away from predators. Basketball: “shoot” babies up to another adult in a tree in safety (?).