Science Fair Project Encyclopedia Behavioral modernity is a term
used in anthropology and archeology to refer to an important
milestone in the evolution of humans. It is a loosely defined
list of traits that distinguish humans and their recent
ancestors from both living primates and various fossil hominids.
It is the point at which homo sapiens began to demonstrate its
reliance on abstract thought and to express cultural creativity.
As of 2004, many date its emergence to between 90,000 and 50,000
years ago, and place its origins in Africa (in opposition to
earlier claims of its European origins). Classic evidence of
behavioral modernity includes: - finely made stone and bone
tools, - evidence of long-distance exchange or barter among
groups, - game playing, - systematic use of pigment, - burial,
and - abstract carvings. A more terse definition of the evidence
is the behavioral B's: blades, beads, burials, bone toolmaking,
and beautiful.  The evolution into anatomically modern humans,
particularly in brain ana