Jogo caminhada evolutiva: o impacto da cooperação na evolução dos Australopitecíneos do Plioceno

Abstract

In this work, I assume that cooperation underpinned the evolutionary trajectory of hominids, particularly Australopithecus anamensis, during the Pliocene. Based on literature reviews and paleoenvironmental reconstructions, the study juxtaposes traditional competitive approaches with three models (Hunting-Scavenging, Underground Storage Organ, and Predator Protection), using them to highlight cooperation, and posits that social collaboration—resource 34sharing, alloparental care, and collective defense—served as a core adaptive driver in the hominid lineage. Methodologically, I combine a survey of theoretical references, the analysis of ecological data, and functional anatomy with a playful-pedagogical proposal: a cooperative card game prototype for higher education. The game integrates cards for characters, scenarios, artifacts, threats, and environments, employing a numerical voting mechanism to simulate group decision-making in hostile conditions. It is expected that this tool will facilitate practical comprehension of evolutionary processes, encourage experimentation, and promote critical debate on paleoanthropology. The anticipated results point to a teaching model that values interdisciplinarity and reinforces the importance of cooperation in the adaptive path of early hominins. By arguing that cooperation preceded and enhanced competitive capacity, the work broadens our understanding of the mechanisms of natural selection applied to hominids.