On Humans Can We Tell a (True) Story of Human Origins? Live from UC San Diego
Nov 24, 2025
Explore the fascinating debates surrounding human origins, where a single accessible story might emerge. Delve into the paradox of why humans exist at all, and the evolution of primates from post-dinosaur mammals. Discover how tree-dwelling shaped prolonged childhoods, and the trade-offs of bipedalism. Hear about the importance of community caregiving and the role of nutrition in brain development. Finally, reflect on the unresolved questions of language origins amidst the story of our evolution from early primates to Homo sapiens.
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Mammalian Childhood Set The Stage
- Early primate ancestors were small, helpless, warm-blooded mammals with long childhoods that shaped later traits.
- This mammalian condition became a key constraint and opportunity in human evolution.
Primate Brains Pack More Neurons
- Primate brains pack many neurons into small volumes and scale up efficiently as body size increases.
- This neuron-dense, scalable brain architecture made large, efficient brains possible in hominins.
Climate Pushed Primates Out Of Trees
- Climate cooling and increasing variability reduced tree cover in Africa, pushing arboreal primates into more open habitats.
- This environmental shift created the selective pressures that drove many hominin adaptations.