Scientific StoryScientific Story

Evolution—process by which one Evolution—process by which one form form

replaces anotherreplaces another

Differentiation of forms by NaturalDifferentiation of forms by Natural

selection—selection—

ScienceScience

ReliableReliable——others can see the same things you do—others can see the same things you do—repeatablerepeatable

ValidValid——you are measuring what you think you are you are measuring what you think you are measuring—measuring—pedometer measuring distance vs. steps.pedometer measuring distance vs. steps.

Natural SelectionNatural Selection

If you have some feature that lets If you have some feature that lets more of your offspring survive and more of your offspring survive and grow up to reproduce than those grow up to reproduce than those without it, then more and more without it, then more and more individuals in later generations individuals in later generations will come to share that featurewill come to share that feature. .

That feature is adaptive.That feature is adaptive.Selective advantage.Selective advantage.

SYSTEMSYSTEM

COLLECTION OF ELEMENTS COLLECTION OF ELEMENTS

CONNECTED TOGETHERCONNECTED TOGETHER

SUCH THATSUCH THAT

IF YOU CHANGE ONE OF THEMIF YOU CHANGE ONE OF THEM

YOU CHANGE THE OTHERSYOU CHANGE THE OTHERS

WalkingWalking Free Hands Free Hands

Use ToolsUse Tools

Rotate PelvisRotate Pelvis Larger Larger

BrainsBrainsNarrow Birth CanalNarrow Birth Canal

Premature InfantsPremature Infants

AFFECT HUNGERAFFECT HUNGER HUNGER=A BUILT-IN URGE FOR AN HUNGER=A BUILT-IN URGE FOR AN

INDIVIDUAL TO MEET AN ESSENTIAL INDIVIDUAL TO MEET AN ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL NEEDPHYSICAL NEED

AFFECT=AFFECTION—HUNGER FOR AFFECT=AFFECTION—HUNGER FOR AFFECTIONAFFECTION

URGE TO GET EXPRESSIONS OF URGE TO GET EXPRESSIONS OF APPROVAL FROM OTHERSAPPROVAL FROM OTHERS

BASED ON NEED FOR TACTILE BASED ON NEED FOR TACTILE (TOUCH) STIMULATION TO DEVELOP (TOUCH) STIMULATION TO DEVELOP NEWBORN’S NERVOUS SYSTEMNEWBORN’S NERVOUS SYSTEM

AFFECT HUNGERAFFECT HUNGER

A REWARD SYSTEM TO INSURE A REWARD SYSTEM TO INSURE THAT CHILDREN WANT TO DO THAT CHILDREN WANT TO DO WHAT THEIR CARETAKERS WANT WHAT THEIR CARETAKERS WANT THEM TO DOTHEM TO DO

TO GET THEIR APPROVALTO GET THEIR APPROVAL SO THEY CAN AND DO LEARN TO SO THEY CAN AND DO LEARN TO

BEHAVE IN WAYS THEIR BEHAVE IN WAYS THEIR COMMUNITY WANTS THEM TOCOMMUNITY WANTS THEM TO

SELECTIVE ADVANTAGESELECTIVE ADVANTAGE

Child Care

Premature Infants Long Dependency Period

Cooperative Food Getting

Food Sharing

Lower Aggression

Affect Hunger

Ability to LearnUse Tools

Natural SelectionNatural Selection

If you have some feature that lets more of If you have some feature that lets more of your offspring survive and grow up to your offspring survive and grow up to reproduce than those without it, then reproduce than those without it, then

more more and more individuals in later generations and more individuals in later generations

willwill come to share that featurecome to share that feature. .

That feature is adaptiveThat feature is adaptiveSelective advantageSelective advantage

Adaptive FeaturesAdaptive Features

1.1. WalkingWalking

2.2. Tool use/makingTool use/making

3.3. Ability to LearnAbility to Learn

Selection forSelection for

Larger brainsLarger brains Bipedal locomotionBipedal locomotion Solution-premature birthSolution-premature birth Result is long period of dependencyResult is long period of dependency Result of these processes is Result of these processes is

language and culturelanguage and culture

Those who could walk and use tools had Those who could walk and use tools had more offspring than those who could notmore offspring than those who could not

Those who could walk and make tools had Those who could walk and make tools had more offspring than those who did notmore offspring than those who did not

Those who could deal with premature Those who could deal with premature infants did better than those who could infants did better than those who could notnot

sunshisunshinene

Vitamin Vitamin DD

Skin Skin cancercancer

rickettrickettss

melaninmelanin++

++

--

--

--

Darkness of Darkness of skinskin

++

folatefolateBirth Birth defectsdefects

++--

--

Human VariationHuman Variation

1.1. Features don’t group togetherFeatures don’t group together

2.2. Don’t form geographical patternsDon’t form geographical patterns

3.3. Can’t distinguish populationsCan’t distinguish populations

4.4. ThereforeTherefore

5.5. Race is not biologicalRace is not biological

RaceRace

Is a cultural and political categoryIs a cultural and political category In the U.S. used to justify slavery In the U.S. used to justify slavery

and discriminationand discrimination

CULTURECULTURE

THE SHARED PERCEPTION OF THE THE SHARED PERCEPTION OF THE UNIVERSE AND ITS CONTENTS, SEEN UNIVERSE AND ITS CONTENTS, SEEN AS A SYSTEMIC WHOLE, INCLUDING AS A SYSTEMIC WHOLE, INCLUDING THE PERCEPTIONS OF SELF AND THE THE PERCEPTIONS OF SELF AND THE DELINEATION OF BEHAVIORAL DELINEATION OF BEHAVIORAL PROPRIETYPROPRIETY

GOLDSCHMIDT 2006GOLDSCHMIDT 2006

EVOLUTION OVER SEVERAL EVOLUTION OVER SEVERAL MILLIONS OF YEARS PRODUCES MILLIONS OF YEARS PRODUCES BIPEDAL CREATURE THAT MAKES BIPEDAL CREATURE THAT MAKES TOOLSTOOLS

THAT’S ONE THRESHOLD BECAUSE THAT’S ONE THRESHOLD BECAUSE IT’S THE BEGINNING OF CULTURE IT’S THE BEGINNING OF CULTURE AND LANGUAGEAND LANGUAGE

TOOLMAKING AND LANGUAGE TOOLMAKING AND LANGUAGE CO-EVOLVEDCO-EVOLVED

AND PROVIDED SELECTIVE AND PROVIDED SELECTIVE ADVANTAGESADVANTAGES

SO POPULATION INCREASEDSO POPULATION INCREASED AND CREATED PROBLEMSAND CREATED PROBLEMS PEOPLE COULD NOT INVENT AND PEOPLE COULD NOT INVENT AND

AGREE ON SOLUTIONS BECAUSE AGREE ON SOLUTIONS BECAUSE MANY SOLUTIONS AREN’T MANY SOLUTIONS AREN’T DEMONSTRABLY RIGHT OR DEMONSTRABLY RIGHT OR WRONGWRONG

FOR INSTANCEFOR INSTANCE

IF YOU THINK PUTTING FEATHERS IF YOU THINK PUTTING FEATHERS ON THE END OF AN ARROW WILL ON THE END OF AN ARROW WILL MAKE IT FLY STRAIGHTER, YOU MAKE IT FLY STRAIGHTER, YOU CAN TRY IT OUT AND SEE—IF CAN TRY IT OUT AND SEE—IF YOU’RE RIGHT, OTHERS WILL YOU’RE RIGHT, OTHERS WILL AGREEAGREE

BUTBUT

IT’S NOT OBVIOUS THAT IT’S NOT OBVIOUS THAT ORGANIZING INTO CLANS OR ORGANIZING INTO CLANS OR HAVING CLAN TOTEMS IS HAVING CLAN TOTEMS IS USEFUL.USEFUL.

PEOPLE CAN ARGUE ABOUT SUCH PEOPLE CAN ARGUE ABOUT SUCH THINGS AND WAS NO EMPIRICAL THINGS AND WAS NO EMPIRICAL WAY TO RESOLVE THEMWAY TO RESOLVE THEM

PROBLEMPROBLEM

HOW TO REDUCE TENSIONS AND HOW TO REDUCE TENSIONS AND

MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TOMAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO

COOPERATECOOPERATE

SOLUTIONSOLUTION

SOME GROUP PERFORMANCE THAT SOME GROUP PERFORMANCE THAT GETS PEOPLE TO ACT TOGETHER GETS PEOPLE TO ACT TOGETHER AND LETS EVERYONE AND LETS EVERYONE UNDERSTAND ACCEPT EVERYONE UNDERSTAND ACCEPT EVERYONE ELSE’S ROLEELSE’S ROLE

““MULTIMEDIA EVENTS THAT MAKE MULTIMEDIA EVENTS THAT MAKE EVERYBODY FEEL THE SAME WAY EVERYBODY FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT WHATEVER THE GROUP ABOUT WHATEVER THE GROUP NEEDS TO FEEL ABOUT”NEEDS TO FEEL ABOUT”

THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF:THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF:

RITUAL RITUAL

CULTURAL EVOLUTIONCULTURAL EVOLUTION

150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED 150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED TOOLSTOOLS

40,000-70,000 FIRST EVIDENCE OF 40,000-70,000 FIRST EVIDENCE OF RITUALRITUAL

150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED 150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED TOOLSTOOLS

20,00020,000 CAVE ART OF EUROPECAVE ART OF EUROPE 40,00040,000 FIRST EVIDENCE OF FIRST EVIDENCE OF

RITUALRITUAL 150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED 150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED

TOOLSTOOLS

10,00010,000 FIRST AGRICULTUREFIRST AGRICULTURE 20,00020,000 CAVE ART OF EUROPECAVE ART OF EUROPE 40,00040,000 FIRST EVIDENCE OF FIRST EVIDENCE OF

RITUALRITUAL 150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED 150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED

TOOLSTOOLS

5,0005,000 FIRST STATESFIRST STATES 10,00010,000 FIRST AGRICULTUREFIRST AGRICULTURE 20,00020,000 CAVE ART OF EUROPECAVE ART OF EUROPE 40,00040,000 FIRST EVIDENCE OF FIRST EVIDENCE OF

RITUALRITUAL 150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED 150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED

TOOLSTOOLS

2,500 2,500 CLASSICAL GREECE CLASSICAL GREECE 5,0005,000 FIRST STATESFIRST STATES 10,00010,000 FIRST AGRICULTUREFIRST AGRICULTURE 20,00020,000 CAVE ART OF EUROPECAVE ART OF EUROPE 40,00040,000 FIRST EVIDENCE OF FIRST EVIDENCE OF

RITUALRITUAL 150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED 150,000 MAKING SOPHISTICATED

TOOLSTOOLS

CULTURAL EVOLUTIONCULTURAL EVOLUTION

40,00040,000

4,000,0004,000,000

SOPHISTICATESOPHISTICATED TOOLSD TOOLS

150,000150,000