Tracing emotions in Neanderthals and other Hominids

HughMcB · #1 by **HughMcB** » Oct 05, 2010 4:45 pm

Neanderthals Had Feelings Too, Say Researchers

ScienceDaily (Oct. 5, 2010) — Pioneering new research by archaeologists at the University of York suggests that Neanderthals belied their primitive reputation and had a deep seated sense of compassion.

A team from the University's Department of Archaeology took on the 'unique challenge' of charting the development of compassion in early humans.

The researchers examined archaeological evidence for the way emotions began to emerge in our ancestors six million years ago and then developed from earliest times to more recent humans such as Neanderthals and modern people like ourselves. The research by Dr Penny Spikins, Andy Needham and Holly Rutherford is published in the journal Time and Mind.

The archaeologists studied archaeological evidence and used this to propose a four stage model for the development of human compassion. It begins six million years ago when the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees experienced the first awakenings of an empathy for others and motivation to 'help' them, perhaps with a gesture of comfort or moving a branch to allow them to pass.

The second stage from 1.8 million years ago sees compassion in Homo erectus beginning to be regulated as an emotion integrated with rational thought. Care of sick individuals represented an extensive compassionate investment while the emergence of special treatment of the dead suggested grief at the loss of a loved one and a desire to soothe others feelings.

...continues...

katja z · #2 by **katja z** » Oct 05, 2010 5:19 pm

The second stage from 1.8 million years ago sees compassion in Homo erectus beginning to be regulated as an emotion integrated with rational thought. Care of sick individuals represented an extensive compassionate investment while the emergence of special treatment of the dead suggested grief at the loss of a loved one and a desire to soothe others feelings.

So far so good.

In Europe between around 500,000 and 40,000 years ago, early humans such as Homo heidelbergensis and Neanderthals developed deep-seated commitments to the welfare of others illustrated by a long adolescence and a dependence on hunting together.

Er, isn't this back to front? Is the writer suggesting that early humans hunted together because they were deeply committed to the welfare of others? :scratch:

And what does long adolescence have to do with deep-seated commitments?

There is also archaeological evidence of the routine care of the injured or infirm over extended periods.

Ubjon · #3 by **Ubjon** » Oct 05, 2010 5:30 pm

Hmm, speculation.

Yummy

HughMcB · #4 by **HughMcB** » Oct 05, 2010 5:33 pm

I honestly have no idea how such a study can be made with so little supporting evidence. I just thought it was an interesting assertion. :dunno:

THWOTH · #5 by **THWOTH** » Oct 06, 2010 4:32 pm

katja z wrote:
In Europe between around 500,000 and 40,000 years ago, early humans such as Homo heidelbergensis and Neanderthals developed deep-seated commitments to the welfare of others illustrated by a long adolescence and a dependence on hunting together.

Er, isn't this back to front? Is the writer suggesting that early humans hunted together because they were deeply committed to the welfare of others? And what does long adolescence have to do with deep-seated commitments?

I think the writer is rather clumsily saying that as not all members of a social unit hunted, those that did were showing a commitment to the nutrition of those that didn't. The pitch is that this commitment was as much an emotional one as it was a function propagating genes by maintaining the health of developing off-spring. Work on chimp behaviour by researchers such as Frans de Waal etc has pointed to acts of altruism and expressions of empathy within troupes, and intimated that this type of mutually beneficial reciprocity is reinforced by an obvious emotional component. As to whether this is round the wrong way or not, well we know that things do not develop and evolve in isolation and are ultimately determined by many factors, so I would guess (shock!) that these traits evolved concomitantly, that early humans hunted together and were committed to each other in an emotional-social sense because these behaviours had clear survival benefits in the long run.

Still, I think this whole area is interesting as the conclusions seem to go some way to balancing the kind of social-darwinist view prevalent at the moment, that the engine of a society's development and evolution is direct competition - a view clearly played out on the social hunting grounds of economics and politics. I think compassion and empathy are far too easily overlooked as personal and social strong-points, but then I'm a "Hey, why can't we all just live together in peace and harmony man" liberal, so I would say that wouldn't I?