The Importance Of Behavioral Modernity

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According to Kottak, “Window on Humanity” Behavioral modernity is “the advent of modern human behavioral capabilities based on symbolic thought and language, in addition to modern anatomy” or in other words a series of traits that characterize, connect and sort of differentiate Homo sapiens from their recent ancestors, other primates and other extinct hominin. It’s a particular moment in time where homo sapiens begin to display cultural creativity and shows evidence of abstract thought. Modern human behavior is the main component of culture; we as human beings create symbols which then form language.
One great example of behavioral modernity is bipedalism. Bipedalism is the ability to walk upright. Bipedalism is anatomically important because it now demonstrate to us modern day human the cycle on how we came to be. This skill was vital to human evolution because it differentiates
By being able to walk further distances, brought them to a diverse new diet and that enables their brains to get bigger. Bipedal animals usually walk greater distances because less energy is needed with their longer strides. The stones stools show evidence of abstract thinking and it shows the early hominins adapting and using their environment to survive which is a skill that we as modern humans have surpassed. Based on the pictures that were displayed in class, the stone stools had a purpose and it was made with a certain style that they had to have some sort of procedure behind it which show signs of culture. There were some stools that had no purpose, these stools were created just for aesthetics because it did not benefit them in anyways. There was also a burial picture that was shown in class. The picture was very interesting because it showed that these early hominins believe in some sort of after life or the importance of preserving the dead which is shocking and sort of unbelievable that they thought of burial so early in human

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