Human Evolution as a Dynamic of Recurrent Fissions: A Structural Hypothesis (DRF)

Human evolution has traditionally been explained through linear models focused on natural selection and the gradual accumulation of biological and cultural changes. However, these approaches fail to capture the complexity, recurrent crises, and symbolic diversity characteristic of Homo sapiens. This article presents the Dynamics of Recurrent Fissions (DRF), a structural model that conceives human evolution as a continuous cycle of social, symbolic, and biological fissions and fusions driven by an exponential and cumulative need for energy. This energetic pressure, associated with brain expansion, technology, and culture, generates internal tensions that fragment groups, which later recombine, enabling innovation and new adaptive configurations. The hypothesis integrates paleogenomic, archaeological, and anthropological evidence to explain the emergence of social complexity, symbolic reorganizations, and cultural acceleration. Additionally, it provides a framework to interpret contemporary phenomena such as identity fragmentation and social polarization. The DRF model broadens the traditional evolutionary perspective by incorporating energy and symbolism as active and complementary forces shaping the unique trajectory of the human lineage.