HUMANIMAL: A New Evolutionary History

Hamlet describes human beings as "the paragon of animals" and, according to the author, he is not wrong. Almost three centuries after Shakespeare, Charles Darwin scientifically cemented humankind's classification as an animal. The molecules of life are universally shared, and the mechanisms by which we got here the same: genes, DNA, proteins, metabolism, natural selection, evolution. Even though we are a latecomer to life on earth, our species has been around for more than 3,000 centuries. But humans did change, profoundly, about 45,000 years ago, and this fascinating book explores that change and its consequences. It was culture rather than DNA that changed, and the change included things like tools, blade technology, fishing gear, and the use of pigment for decorative purposes or jewellery. People began to cook, and the kitchen may have been a social hub. Musical instruments appeared, and dogs were tamed to assist in the search for food. Often referred to as the "great leap forward" or "cognitive revolution", modern behaviours emerged quickly in several locations, and homo sapiens replaced our ancestors who had left Africa. So what are the differences between humans and animals? Humans have extended our reach by utilising nature and inventing technology, although animals also use tools. We have sex for pleasure, but so probably do animals, and thousands of animals have homosexual relations which may even dominate male giraffe sexual encounters. Our ability to communicate, however, seems to put us apart, although the author points out that the ability of a mantis shrimp to see in 16 different wavelengths rather puts our three into the shade. The author looks at the way male newts drug females to gain access, or male water striders bully females into sex by summoning predators, warning that many behaviours are by-products of our evolved existence rather than the direct results of evolution. In Australia, raptors have been observed starting fires to scatter prey, and in Zambia, a chimp named Julie started a fashion of wearing grass in one ear. DNA changes randomly, and mutations are subject to selection if the phenotype is beneficial to survival. 240pp, line drawings.