Humans Like Us (About 100,000 Years Ago)

Abstract

By 100,000 years ago, humans walked the Earth who were very similar to us physically and genetically, but they lived in small family bands and their culture was much simpler than the culture of any humans living today. The authors argue that these humans had the capacity to participate in more complex cultures and suggest that this capacity evolved because families had to cooperate closely to raise children in times when climate was very variable. Natural selection worked at two levels—on individuals but also on families. Families that were best at cooperating and raising the next generation were most likely to survive. These successful families passed on both their genes and their culture to the next generation. The chapter reviews evidence gained from studies of humans and comparisons of humans and chimpanzees that reveal humans’ unique motivation and ability to work together.