A decent summary of the discussion over shrinkage of brain size in Homo sapiens in the past 100,000 years.
One very strong point is made by Eva #Jablonka, linking reduction of brain size to stratification and class society:
'Jablonka argues that if even if brains did shrink when complex societies emerged, it doesn't necessarily follow that smaller brains were necessarily an adaptive response.
"If 3,000 years ago much larger more complex societies emerged, this could correlate with much greater differences in social classes. If, as a consequence the majority of people were poor, then we know that poverty and malnutrition and things like that would compromise the developing brain."'
We would agree, metabolic and energetic/nutrient constraint is likely important. Marta #Lahr also suggests a link to nutrient deficiency associating to onset of agriculture.
A significant implication is that the super large brains of our ancestors came about through #egalitarianism and strong ethics of #sharing vital nutrients to mothers and children.
🌒Tues May 7, 18:30 (BST)🌓
with #ChrisKnight
LIVE @UCLanthropology and on ZOOM
'Did matriarchy ever exist?'
Everybody welcome FREE, LIVE and online! Just turn up!
Chris Knight, founder of Radical Anthropology Group and author of 'Blood Relations: Menstruation and the origins of culture' will be speaking LIVE in the Daryll Forde Room, 2nd Floor of the UCL Anthropology Dept, 14 Taviton St, London WC1H 0BW
**NB We can now use the front door in Taviton St again **
You can also join us on ZOOM (ID 384 186 2174 passcode Wawilak)
Radical Anthro summer talks start up next
Tues April 16, 18:30 (BST)
with #ChrisKnight on
LIVE @UCLanthropology and on ZOOM
Everybody welcome FREE, LIVE and online!
Chris Knight, founder of Radical Anthropology Group and author of 'Blood Relations: Menstruation and the origins of culture' is speaking LIVE in the Daryll Forde Room, 2nd Floor of the UCL Anthropology Dept, 14 Taviton St, London WC1H 0BW (the entrance may still be through the Archaeology Institute in Gordon Sq). You can also join us on ZOOM (ID 384 186 2174 passcode Wawilak)
Chris will discuss myths of matriarchy, which are found all over the world. Is there any truth in the idea that women once exercised political power over men? Many feminists have dismissed such stories as ideological narratives invented simply to justify men's rule. Does biology prevent women from exercising real political power? Does sexism prevail everywhere? Has patriarchy always existed? He will discuss the ethnographic, archaeological and genetic evidence for and against these ideas.
We think this attack on understanding #humanorigins by Stefanos #Geroulanos is junk. Almost everything about it is wrong.
The idea that our bodies, minds and emotions are only affected by the last 5000 years is profoundly stupid -- once again social scientists trying to pretend #evolution doesn't exist (Am looking at #Graeber/Wengrow there).
Take this bit 🤦:
'But in reality, our bodies, our economic systems, our social relations, our family relations, and our politics have very little to do with this longer history [=species life] and a great deal to do with the much shorter one [=farming/patriarchy]'
This is a real mashup: our bodies, minds, hearts and souls have been shaped through thousands on thousands of generations of egalitarian nomadic lifestyle -- we need to know about that to challenge the constraints of heinous inequality in emerging class societies. Yes these shifted gender, economic and social relations of the past 5000 years. But we don't lose the cognitive and emotional skill set of being human overnight, or even in a few thousand years of warfare and patriarchy..
Cedric will be speaking in the Daryll Forde Seminar Room, 2nd Floor of the Anthro building. Please use main entrance of the Archaeology Institute in Gordon Square and someone will help direct you across to the Anthro building.
"After everything that happened during the delivery of medals of the Women's World Cup, we want to state that all the players who sign this letter will not return to a call for the national team if the current leaders continue."
We Came from Outer Space (nautil.us)
A new finding boosts Panspermia, the theory that life on Earth originated in deep space.