Fin vs History

Measuring Skulls When The Women Have Gone To Bed | Prehistoric Man (Part 1)

7 snips
Oct 20, 2025
Diving into the evolutionary drama, the hosts explore why Homo sapiens triumphed over Neanderthals, featuring a playful theory on social skills and autism. They discuss the unique traits of various hominins, including the tiny Homo floresiensis, and ponder how early group cooperation fueled survival. The podcast also touches on intriguing archaeological finds like Venus figurines, examining prehistoric art and nutrition's role in brain development. Expect humor and insight on humanity's fascinating and complex origins.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Deep Timescale Of Human History

  • The Paleolithic era lasted from ~2.5 million to ~10,000 years ago and comprises most of human history.
  • Fin Taylor and Horatio Gould stress that modern civilization is a very recent 1% of our timeline.
ANECDOTE

No-Show Producer Becomes Caveman Punchline

  • Producer Charlie failed to show on time after a late night, prompting jokes about cavemen and laziness.
  • The hosts use his absence to riff on prehistoric sloth and modern habits.
INSIGHT

Erectus, Fire, And Bigger Brains

  • Homo erectus had a larger brain and likely controlled fire, marking major behavioural change.
  • Fin connects larger brains and fire control to more advanced tools and survival strategies.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app