Thinking Big: How the Evolution of Social Life Shaped the Human Mind - Brossura

Gamble, Clive; Gowlett, John; Dunbar, Robin

Brossura

ISBN 10: 0500293821 ISBN 13: 9780500293829

Casa editrice: Thames & Hudson, 2018

Riassunto

When and how did the brains of our hominin ancestors become human minds? When and why did our capacity for language, art, music and dance evolve? This pathbreaking book proposes that it was the need for early humans to live in ever-larger social groups over greater distancesthe ability to think bigthat drove the enlargement of the human brain and the development of the human mind. This social brain hypothesis, put forward by evolutionary psychologists such as Robin Dunbar, can be tested against archaeological and fossil evidence.The conclusions herethe fruits of over seven years of researchbuild on the insight that modern humans live in effective social groups of about 150 (so-called Dunbars number), some three times the size of those of apes and our early ancestors. We live in a world dominated by social networking. Yet our virtual contact lists, whether on Facebook or Twitter, are on average no bigger than Dunbars number.

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Dalla quarta di copertina

When and how did the brains of our hominin ancestors become human minds? When and why did our capacity for language or art, music and dance evolve? It is the contention of this pathbreaking and provocative book that it was the need for early humans to live in ever-larger social groups, and to maintain social relations over ever-greater distances - the ability to 'think big' - that drove the enlargement of the human brain and the development of the human mind. This 'social brain hypothesis', put forward by evolutionary psychologists such as Robin Dunbar, one of the authors of this book, can be tested against archaeological and fossil evidence, as archaeologists Clive Gamble and John Gowlett show in the second part of Thinking Big. Along the way, the three authors touch on subjects as diverse and diverting as the switch from finger-tip grooming to vocal grooming or the crucial importance of making fire for the lengthening of the social day. As this remarkable book shows, it seems we still inhabit social worlds that originated deep in our evolutionary past - by the fireside, in the hunt and on the grasslands of Africa.

Dettagli dell?edizione

• Editore: Thames & Hudson
• Data di pubblicazione: 2018
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 0500293821
• ISBN 13: 9780500293829
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero di pagine: 238
• Contatto del produttore: non disponibile
• Persona responsabile: non disponibile