Documentary Analysis: Becoming Human

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This week’s study material takes a basic overview over the development of the homo sapien species and culminating into how art is defined. The documentary, “Becoming Human,” begins with the basic definitions of scientific techniques and processes that is used to explore the ones that came before our family. It later explores the evolutionary path and the side roads the path takes in the development of the homo sapien species and its complex societal, cultural, and abstract thought. The physiological changes within the hominid family, even with “misfires” of extinct subsets, not only lead us to where we are today, but as small as they seem they give rise to the exploration, colonization, and ultimately the domination of planet that we live on. …show more content…
From tree climbing and being non-meat eaters, we slowly move to bipedal walkers, scavengers, then to hunter gathers. Looking at the development of humankind, several adaptations push our ability to create art. Physically, bipedalism frees up our hands, hands that find our fingers and thumbs enabled to grasp and carry more with us. Mentally our larger brains enable further thought. Which of these developmental steps enables the ability to have abstract thought? Could it be the fact bipedalism enables our ancestors to view the world the around them with better ease, or is it freeing up our hands to work with tools? Modern apes can be observed using simple tools like our early ancestors, will these problem-solving techniques slowly evolve their minds into abstract thought? What causes our brains to enlarge? Could the constant problem solving, tool making be a catalyst, or like in an independent reading article is fire the