Final answer:
The evolution of a larger brain size and bipedalism improved early humans' hunting, survival skills, and resource planning, and facilitated the development of complex tool use, language, and cultural transmission.
Step-by-step explanation:
The evolution of a sense of time and self-awareness in humans has been proposed to offer several advantages that were critical for survival and success. Hypotheses such as the expensive tissue hypothesis suggest that as the climate became colder and more variable, early hominins like H. ergaster and H. erectus developed a series of adaptations including increased encephalization (growth in brain size) and bipedalism. The larger brain size permitted advancements in cognitive skills, necessary for complex tool use and improving hunting and survival skills. This anatomical evolution paralleled cultural developments, including the invention of symbolic language and later, the coevolution of biology and culture, particularly with the emergence of language as a pivotal element for human development.
Increased foraging efficiency, enhanced communication, and social bonding were likely crucial for early hominin societies. These skills allowed for better resource planning and improved survival in changing environments. Additionally, the development of tools was not only a technological achievement but also a sign of advanced cognitive abilities, including the capacity for abstract thinking and the ability to plan and execute complex tasks. This cognitive leap also facilitated the transmission of knowledge and culture, which would have played an essential role in setting the stage for the astonishing human achievements that were to follow.