The Cyclical Development: Ice Ages and “Great Leaps” Have Shaped Man

I have previously proposed a Copernican revolution in our understanding of human evolution. In this new article, I outline a broader developmental scheme for humanity, suggesting that we have undergone several great leaps, not just the one occurring 40,000 years ago. Historically, human development has not been about increasing creativity but about enhancing our ability to imitate and replicate behaviors established by our ancestors. Homo sapiens was thus originally a bodily materialization of an old way of life—an old survival strategy—that had been acquired by their predecessor, Homo heidelbergensis.

All standard models in human evolution have been extremely conservative. In their original form, all human species, including our own, have been deeply tradition-bound and produced standardized tools. It was the same Homo erectus who, at the beginning of their existence, manufactured Oldowan tools, later developed the Acheulean culture, and learned to make fire. The same Homo heidelbergensis who, 600,000 years ago, created standardized hand axes and, 400,000 years ago, developed the Levallois technique. The same Neanderthals who, 400,000 years ago, used tools similar to their predecessors, and around 160,000 years ago developed the Mousterian culture, began burying their dead, and created cave paintings. Likewise, Homo sapiens, who 300,000 years ago manufactured standardized Middle Stone Age tools, began 40,000 years ago to create microlithic tools, make sculptures, and spread across the globe.

Our evolution has followed a cyclical pattern, with climate changes like ice ages prompting periods of cultural innovation and biological adaptation. Each time we faced drastic environmental shifts, our latent creative abilities were awakened to develop new survival strategies. Language, which was originally a tool for imitation, became free in this process and created opportunities for symbolic thinking and social organization.

The advent of agriculture drastically changed the scene, as we gained the ability to fundamentally alter our environment. This development sheds new light on our situation today. With the power to reshape nature, there seem to be no limits; we strive to break all boundaries and even aspire to live forever—a sentiment most prevalent in technological hubs like Silicon Valley. In our pursuit to transcend natural constraints, we have become dangerously lost.

You can find the article here: The Cyclical Development: Ice Ages and “Great Leaps” Have Shaped Man