Causes Proximal Vs. In a simplistic way, distal causes of evolution are to do with changes in the genes of an organism and proximal causes of evolution are via societal behaviours which aid survival chances. Ideas of evolution show that mutation of genes of any life form will give subtle diversification of the species. This is how distal causes of evolution occur. In the evolution of man, possibly 50,000 years ago or earlier, language and higher cognition evolved.
Cognition has it's original roots in distal change.
This change gave greater ability for cognition and communication, with the aid of structural changes in the brain and vocal tract. Cognition and language was used to help produce stone tools etc. to aid hunting and so gave rise to higher chances of survival. This can be seen as a proximal cause of survival.