The animal connection and human evolution

Pat Shipman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

73 Scopus citations

Abstract

A suite of unique physical and behavioral characteristics distinguishes Homo sapiens from other mammals. Three diagnostic human behaviors played key roles in human evolution: tool making, symbolic behavior and language, and the domestication of plants and animals. I focus here on a previously unrecognized fourth behavior, which I call the animal connection, that characterized the human lineage over the past 2.6 million years. I propose that the animal connection is the underlying link among the other key human behaviors and that it substantially influenced the evolution of humans.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)519-538
Number of pages20
JournalCurrent anthropology
Volume51
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2010

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Archaeology
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology

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