Human Evolution: From Prey to Culture
The Development of Human Dexterity and Tool Use
Our ancestors, a purely carnivorous species, stole freshly hunted prey. For this action, they must have acted in gangs, in an organized manner. The upper limbs, especially in relation to other species, have shortened. These limbs, exempted from motor functions, have been specializing in distinctly human functions. The opposable thumb is an inherited characteristic of older primates, but its primary function has been to cling to branches and, secondarily, to grasp fruit or insects that served as food. In the evolutionary line leading to our kind, hand motility, and particularly that of the fingers, has gradually become more precise and delicate, facilitating the development of artifacts. It is not yet known when this storyline of artifact creation began, but it is certainly more than 2 million years old. Homo habilis/Homo rudolfensis regularly used crude instruments. The development of pronation capacity in the wrist joint is also important for the ability to produce artifacts.
The Emergence of Articulate Speech
In the section on the emergence of articulate speech, the importance of FOXP2 must be mentioned. This gene is responsible for the development of language areas and areas of synthesis (synthesis areas are in the cerebral cortex, in the frontal lobes). The increased specialization of the brain allowed the emergence of so-called lateralization, a very important difference between the left and right brain. The left hemisphere has developed specific areas in its cortex that enable significant symbolic language based on acoustic signals: Wernicke’s area (responds to the structure and meaning of language) and Broca’s area (coordinates the muscles of the mouth, tongue, and throat as we speak). Studies in Homo habilis suggest that there was a very rudimentary but effective oral and articulated language, sufficient to convey information or education for the preparation of crude tools.
Culture and Society
Culture is the distinctive feature of humanity. In proto-humans, there are a number of features of socialization that involve learning. Thus, culture is humanity’s real ecological niche. Humans are not born with a social instinct but with a structure heavily dependent on psychomotor functions. Our social life is based on learning, which enables the individual to perform social roles. Culture is what is learned in the socialization process, by which:
- Individuals develop a capacity as a result of learning a culture.
- Culture is transmitted from generation to generation.
- Through the socialization process, individuals are taught to behave according to cultural patterns, being shaped by the contexts in which these cultures are developed.
Culture determines which of the many paths of behavior an individual chooses. A certain capacity and culture can be a basis for predicting the daily conduct of the individual and for the implementation of social routines. Culture is a tool to locate and determine the true social content, and thus the concept of culture has been considered the most important for sociology. Culture is identified by at least one social component, a behavioral component, and a material reference base. Society and culture are interwoven terms but are not the same. Their differentiator is an analytic matrix.