29. H. sapiens were able to settle in such diverse habitats. Give reasons and rationale.

Return To History 8 Human Origins Concepts

“H. sapiens were the only hominids who dominated wherever they went.” (Manual page 31)

H. Sapiens were able to settle in diverse habitats, various temperatures and biomes,because of the following reasons:

-They were able to adapt and change when faced with different challenges.

-Their brains grew and developed allowing them to solve complex problems.

-Their ingenuity brought them to make tools and other technology.

-They organized their community and assigned different roles to survive.

-They cooperated with other groups to secure their survival.

-Through Communication they shared new ideas and passed them on to the next generation.

Able to adapt/change

“Overall, the evidence shows that hominins were able to adapt to changing environments. The genus Homo, to which our species belongs, also had the capacity to adjust to a variety of environmental conditions all over the world. Homo sapiens is especially able to cope with a broad range of climatic conditions, hot and cold environments, arid and moist ones, and with all kinds of varying vegetation. We use resources from a vast variety of plants and animals and use many specialized tools. We have many social contacts and means of exchanging resources and information to help us survive in a constantly changing world.”

http://humanorigins.si.edu/research/climate-research/effects

Brain Development

"Larger brains allowed hominins to process and store information, to plan ahead and to solve abstract problems."

http://humanorigins.si.edu/research/climate-research/effects

"Modern humans also have very large brains, which vary in size from population and between males and females, but the average is around 1300cc." (Manual page 30)

Tools

Approximately 1.6 mya, the Auchulean stone tool industry occurred, consisting of large cutting tools, hand axes and cleavers. They developed the bifacial cutting edge. (Manual page 24)

The Neanderthals used prepared core method to make flat, disk-shaped tools for knives or hand axes. They preplanned game hunts. They even used the permafrost for natural refrigerators. (Manual page 29)

Fire was also used a tool.

“What is known is that H. ergaster lived not only in Africa but also in the chiller zones of Europe and H. erectus lived in China. As these hominids crossed over into these colder continents from their native Africa, fire would have been essential to them in securing a foothold.” (Manual page 26)

Homo heidelbergensis used fire to drive big game off cliffs or trap them in enclosed areas. (Manual page 26)

Social Organization

Females foraged close to home for food while the males hunted far and wide for meat.

“The scavenging/hunting-gathering lifestyle became firmly established outside of Africa, across Europe and Asia, in China and Java, and other parts of the Far East.” (Manual page 26)

Cooperation

Exchanging materials and Building relationships with other groups.

"The social bonds that were forged by exchanging materials between groups may have been critical for survival during times of environmental change when one group relied on the resources or territories of a distant group." http://humanorigins.si.edu/research/climate-research/effects

Communication

"Use of symbols is ultimately connected to the human ability to plan, communicate and record information."

http://humanorigins.si.edu/research/climate-research/effects

Michael Urdahl