AllMovie

Based on Jacob Bronowski's companion book of the same name, the Ascent of Man series traces human evolution from its meager beginnings. Ascent of Man: Lower Than Angels is the premiere episode and explores the emergence of the species and man's subsequent relationship to the environment. Using ancient skeletons as examples, Bronowski shows the gradual changes in physicality that accompany evolutionary growth. He also introduces ideas about the cultural adaptations that took place over thousands of years. In a grand gesture, Bronowski even speculates as to the actual location of the Garden of Eden.