4 ms·

I think a better way to state it is that the major differences you're picturing between humans and chimps might actually be social in origin.

• dcurtis 18y ago
  I'm sure that is the basis of this guy's argument, but the biggest differences are the physical ones in the brain. Did those physical changes occur due to social pressures? I don't know and neither does the author. It is a weak argument.
  • jpeterson 18y ago
    What differences are there in the brain besides physical ones? And the point is not that the changes happened because of social pressures, but because more complicated forms of social interaction aided our ability to work in groups to survive. For example, I don't think it's a major stretch to imagine that rudimentary mathematics might've arisen so that we could communicate to each other hunting distances, necessary food rations, etc... By the way, I think your point is valid, and I'm not sure why you're being downmodded. It seems that downmod here is becoming more like the reddit disagreement downmod than indicating whether the content of the post is valid, as it should be.
  • robg 18y ago
    You have to ask how social interaction could increase survival rate. Take one example: If a group of 20 co-ordinates in a hunting party to fell a large beast, the payoff (i.e., the meat) benefits a much larger group. That increased caloric intake directly affects survival. Mutations that aided social skills would benefit the organ producing those "tools". And on and on for generations...