Final answer:
b) Evolutionary history, Hominids are classified based on their evolutionary history, influenced by brain size, tool-making abilities, and evidence of language development. These factors are essential for understanding human evolutionary adaptations and the emergence of culture and society.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anthropologists and paleoanthropologists classify hominids or early human ancestors into different types based on their evolutionary history. This classification is informed by several criteria, including brain size, skeletal features, and material culture evidence such as tools and artworks.
For instance, the species Homo habilis had a larger brain size compared to australopithecines, hands capable of making tools, and a round, globular skull. Moreover, their tool-making abilities and potential language skills are intricately linked. The development of tool industries like the Oldowan and Acheulean, and the emergence of language, reflect complex social and cognitive abilities.
Cultural developments, including symbolic language and the evolution of shared societal norms, were also significant in the classification of hominids. For example, archaeological evidence from China's Paleolithic period shows the development of symbolic language, essential for the formation of culture and society.
The environment played a crucial role in shaping human biology, leading to adaptations like bipedalism, brain growth, and the development of language and toolmaking, which are central to the understanding of human evolution.