Achievement criteria and explanatory notes

Achievement Standard

3.6 Trends in human evolution

Key terms

Biological evolution ape Au. afarensis Ardipithecus ramidus Australopithecus spp. bipedal (bipedalism) carrying angle Denisovans Dmanisi fossils gracile hominid hominoid Homo H. erectus H. ergaster H. floresiensis H. habilis H. heidelbergensis H. neanderthalensis H. sapiens primate Paranthropus spp. prehensile prognathic robust sexual dimorphism valgus angle

Cultural evolution Acheulean (tool) Broca's area Mesolithic Mousterian (tool) Neolithic Oldowan (tool) Palaeolithic Wernicke's area

Dispersal multiregional hypothesis Out of Africa hypothesis Recognisable trends characterise the evolution of humans: bipedalism, increase in brain size, reduction in teeth, reduction in facial projection, and increasing importance of art, spirituality, tool technology, and sociality.

Achievement criteria and explanatory notes

Achievement criteria for achieved, merit, and excellence

c A Demonstrate understanding of trends in human evolution: Use biological ideas to describe trends in human evolution. c M Demonstrate in-depth understanding of trends in human evolution: Use biological ideas to explain how or why trends in human evolution occur. c E Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of trends in human evolution: Link biological ideas about trends in human evolution. This may involve justifying, relating, evaluating, comparing and contrasting, and analysing using scientific evidence.

Explanatory notes: Trends in human evolution

Trends in human evolution refer to changes over time in relation to…

Activity number

c 1 Human biological evolution begins with early bipedal hominins and may require comparison with living hominids. These trends involve: a Skeletal changes linked to bipedalism. b Changes in skull and endocranial features that reveal changes in brain structure. c Changes in the manipulative ability of the hand. c 2 Human cultural evolution including: a The use of tools (stone, wood, and bone) and changes in tool technology. b The use of fire c Clothing d Abstract thought, including communication, language, and art. e Food gathering, including hunter gatherer to domestication of plants and animals. f Shelter including caves, temporary settlements and permanent settlements. c 3 Patterns of dispersal of hominins. Hominins refers to living and fossil species belonging to the human lineage.

143 - 157

161 - 169

173 - 179

What you need to know for this Achievement Standard

Humans as primates

Activities 142 - 146

By the end of this section you should be able to: c Describe primate characteristics as they relate to humans, especially features of the hand and skull. c Describe the anatomical and behavioural features that are unique to humans. c State the full classification of modern humans.

The biological evolution of humans

Activities 147 - 160, 182

By the end of this section you should be able to: c Describe the selection pressures on early hominins and the benefits of reducing body hair and adopting a bipedal gait as a form of locomotion. c Describe the anatomical features associated with bipedalism, including features of the pelvis, the significance of the valgus (carrying) angle, and the position of the foramen magnum. c Describe trends in the size and shape of the skull, face, and dentition from Australopithecus through to early Homo species to Neanderthals and modern humans. Explain what endocranial features tell us about changes in brain size and organisation. c Describe trends in the dexterity and manipulative abilities of the hand from Australopithecus through to early Homo species to Neanderthals and modern humans. Relate these to the emergence and increasing sophistication of tool use.

The cultural evolution of humans

Activities 161 - 172, 182

By the end of this section you should be able to: c Describe the features of the Palaeolithic tool cultures (Oldowan, Acheulean, Mousterian), identifying advancements in tool technology at each stage. c Explain how the controlled use of fire influenced and benefited human cultural evolution. c Explain the significance of purpose-made clothing in human cultural evolution. Identify when humans began to make and wear clothing, explain why, and describe the evidence for its origin. c Describe trends in and consequences of brain development, including the beginning of abstract thought and the development of language and of the areas of the brain associated with it. c Describe and explain the increasing importance of art and spirituality in human cultural evolution and relate these trends to other changes occurring at the same time. c Describe and explain the change from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to one involving the domestication of plants and animals. Describe trends in the types of shelter associated with these changes, including reference to caves, and temporary and permanent settlements.

Patterns of hominin dispersal

Activities 173 - 182

By the end of this section you should be able to: c Compare and contrast the main hypotheses for the origin and dispersal of hominins, including evidence. Include reference to the out of Africa and multiregional hypotheses. c Describe and explain how new fossil and genetic evidence is revealing a more complicated picture of human origins and dispersal, including the likely interbreeding between hominin populations and its consequence to modern populations. Include reference to the Dmanisi fossils,

Denisovans, Neanderthals, Homo naledi, and/or the Flores finds. Explain the importance of accurate dating to the interpretation of these finds.