How did early humans learn to survive and populate?

Question

How did early humans learn to survive and populate?

Answer 1

They survived largely by built in survival instincts such an running from perceived danger, moving away from fire and falling objects, etc.  They also would learn and remember survival methods from watching more mature group members.

They increased population just by instinct and motivating hormones. This would result in unplanned pregnancies just like today ----except that in more ancient times they did not know what caused babies.

Answer 2

They watched the survival channel and went to survival schools r us! The populating part was all instinctual! Still a lot of it was just plain luck! That's why you will meet people and you always wonder how they continue to live in this world!

Answer 3

Well human beings, like many other creatures on Earth, are capable of learning from experience and are capable of teaching many various survival skills.  Young animals who are cared for by their parents learn what foods to eat, what foods not to eat, what animals to avoid, what to do when it gets cold or hot, etc.  Humans are cared for by their parents during their childhood and so they learn some basic survival skills that way.

Animals also have adult lives in which they not only use what their parents have taught them, but also learn new skills through experience.  They then pass along this knowledge to their offspring.  (in various ways depending on what animals you're talking about.)  This is the same for humans too.  Our ability to learn and communicate may be more complex than other animals, but all social animals have the ability to actively teach each other new information.  Social interaction and instinct compliment each other to varying degrees in the animal kingdom, as it tends to do so still in human populations.