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Modern Evolutionary Theory and Human Evolution

Modern Evolutionary Theory and Human Evolution. James A. Van Slyke. Modern Synthesis. Darwinian Evolution Descent with modification from a common ancestor Small changes gradually occur over time Natural Selection – different traits promote survival or lead to extinction

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Modern Evolutionary Theory and Human Evolution

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  1. Modern Evolutionary Theory and Human Evolution James A. Van Slyke

  2. Modern Synthesis • Darwinian Evolution • Descent with modification from a common ancestor • Small changes gradually occur over time • Natural Selection – different traits promote survival or lead to extinction • Sexual Selection – traits that promote or diminish reproduction

  3. Modern Synthesis

  4. Modern Synthesis • Genetic Theory • Mechanism that transfers traits to offspring • Missing piece of Darwin’s Theory • Genotype – set of gene’s from individual DNA • Phenotype – Observed characteristics produced by a genotype

  5. Modern Synthesis • Genetic Variation • Mutations – changes in DNA sequence • Gene Flow – movement of genes between populations • Sex – introduce new gene combinations • Genetic Variation produces phenotypic variations • Phenotypes with adaptive value increase survival and reproduction • Adaptive value passed on through genotypes

  6. Human Evolution • Humans and chimpanzees share 98.5% of the same genes • Hominid lineage split from chimpanzee about 6 million years ago • Homo sapiens – 200,000 years ago from Africa • Many important transitions in human behavior and cognition

  7. Primate Evolutionary Tree

  8. Important transitions • Burial of the Dead • 95,000 years ago • Buried with beads and other symbolic objects • May have religious significance; belief in life after death • Burial site in Israel • 30 buried individuals found • 9 year old found with a pair of antlers

  9. Important Transitions • Use of pigments and coloring • 350,000 years ago • Marked persons and objects with color • Cave painting and Drawing • 32,000 years ago • Early forms of symbolic thought

  10. Important Transitions • Cave painting and Drawing • 32,000 years ago

  11. Important transitions • Figurines and carvings • May have religious significance for different rituals • Early forms of symbolic thought in combining animal with human forms • May also have sexual significance in carvings of the female form

  12. Lion-head figureVenus figure

  13. Important transitions • First religious temple • 11,000 years ago • Turkey • Rows of standing stones • Images of animals • “GobekliTepe”

  14. Important transitions • Çatalhöyük (http://www.catalhoyuk.com/) • 7500 BC • Feasts with animals • Burials of ancestors • Religion and daily life highly integrated • Religion could not be separated from other aspects of culture

  15. Çatalhöyük

  16. Çatalhöyük

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