HIS 212 – FOUNDATION OF AFRICAN CULTURE AND CIVILISATION AUCHIPOLY 2021/2022 RAIN SEMESTER EXAMINATION

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ANWSER

 

Here are the answers to the HIS 212 – Foundation of African Culture and Civilisation exam questions, following the format you requested:

Question 1:
Answer:
The main features that distinguish man from other primates include:

  1. Bipedalism: Humans walk upright on two legs, which is more efficient for long-distance travel and frees the hands for tool use.
  2. Brain Size: Humans have a significantly larger and more complex brain relative to body size, which allows for advanced cognitive functions such as abstract thinking, planning, and language.
  3. Tool Use and Manufacture: Humans create and use a wide variety of tools. While some primates use tools, human tools are more advanced and culturally transmitted.
  4. Language and Communication: Humans have complex languages with grammar and syntax, allowing detailed communication and cultural transmission.
  5. Culture and Society: Humans develop complex social structures, traditions, religion, art, and governance.
  6. Reduced Jaw and Teeth Size: Compared to primates, human jaws and teeth are smaller, reflecting changes in diet and cooking practices.
  7. Prolonged Childhood and Parental Care: Human children take longer to mature, which allows for extended learning and cultural transmission.

Question 2:
Answer:
The evolutionary development of man from early stages to Homo sapiens includes:

  1. Australopithecines (4–2 million years ago): Bipedal but with small brains; they represent the early stage of human evolution.
  2. Homo habilis (2.4–1.4 million years ago): Known as “handy man,” this species used basic stone tools.
  3. Homo erectus (1.9 million–110,000 years ago): First to use fire, develop more complex tools, and migrate out of Africa.
  4. Homo heidelbergensis (600,000–200,000 years ago): Transitional form with larger brain; probable ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans.
  5. Homo neanderthalensis (400,000–40,000 years ago): Close relatives of modern humans, with complex tools and burial practices.
  6. Homo sapiens (200,000 years ago–present): Modern humans with advanced language, culture, technology, and societal structures.

Question 3:
Answer:
Ramapithecus vs. Dryopithecus

  • Ramapithecus:
    • Lived about 12–14 million years ago.
    • Thought to be a direct ancestor of humans due to its dental and jaw features.
    • Fossils found in Africa and Asia.
  • Dryopithecus:
    • Lived around 15–20 million years ago.
    • Considered a common ancestor of both apes and humans.
    • Had a more ape-like structure with arboreal habits.
      Key Distinction: Dryopithecus is older and more primitive, while Ramapithecus is more advanced and was once considered closer to human ancestry.

Question 4:
Answer:
Homo sapiens neanderthalensis vs. Homo sapiens rhodesiensis:

  • Neanderthals (Europe and western Asia):
    • Strong build, adapted to cold climates.
    • Used tools, had burial practices, and possibly spoke language.
  • Rhodesiensis (Africa):
    • Lived around 300,000–125,000 years ago.
    • Considered a potential ancestor of modern Homo sapiens.
      Human Development Implication: These subspecies show how humans adapted to different environments, with Neanderthals becoming extinct and Rhodesiensis contributing genetically to modern Africans.

Question 5:
Answer:
Dryopithecus as the most distant relative of modern man:
Yes, Dryopithecus is considered among the early ancestors in the primate line leading to humans.

  • It lived in the Miocene era, was arboreal, and had primitive features.
  • It represents a basal form from which later hominins like Australopithecus and Homo habilis evolved.
  • However, it is not a direct ancestor but more of a distant evolutionary cousin in the human lineage tree.

Question 6:
Answer:
Importance of Olduvai Gorge in Early Stone Age history:

  • Located in Tanzania, Olduvai Gorge is one of the most important paleoanthropological sites.
  • Discoveries include fossils of Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and early stone tools.
  • It provides evidence of early human evolution, tool use, and environmental adaptation.
  • The site supports the “Out of Africa” theory and helps trace the development of human ancestors in Eastern Africa.

Question 7:
Answer:
Homo sapiens sapiens refers to anatomically modern humans.

  • Emerged around 200,000 years ago in Africa.
  • Characterized by high forehead, rounded skull, small face and jaw, and complex cognitive abilities.
  • Developed language, art, agriculture, and large societies.
  • Spread across the globe, replacing other hominins like Neanderthals through migration and possible interbreeding.

Question 8:
Answer:
a. Homo Erectus:

  • Lived from about 1.9 million to 110,000 years ago.
  • First hominin to use fire and migrate out of Africa.
  • Had a larger brain than predecessors and used more advanced tools.

b. Acheulian Industrial Complex:

  • Associated with Homo erectus.
  • Featured bifacial hand axes and cleavers.
  • Represented a technological advancement from Oldowan tools.

c. Oldowan Industrial Complex:

  • The earliest known stone tool culture, used by Homo habilis.
  • Characterized by simple, unrefined tools like choppers and flakes.
  • Signaled the beginning of human technological development.

d. Developed Oldowan Industrial Complex:

  • A more advanced phase of the Oldowan tradition.
  • Tools were more refined and diverse.
  • Indicated improved cognitive skills and adaptability of early humans.

 

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