Comparative Anthropogeny: Exploring The Human-Ape Paradox

Summary:
CARTA’s Fall 2020 symposium, Comparative Anthropogeny: Exploring the Human Ape-Paradox, examines humans as a uniquely evolved, "biologically enculturated," species as juxtaposed with our closest living relatives, the "great apes" (chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans). By definition, each species is unique as it represents the outcome of independent evolution. Yet, humans appear to be a remarkable outlier as we have numerous characteristics so far un-described in any other primate. Why should this be? Unlike other species, the evident animal nature of humans is interwoven with a distinctly human cultural fabric, forming the paradox of "biological enculturation": a species that is both "biologically cultural" and "culturally biological". In humans, "biological enculturation" is so pervasive that disentangling the cultural and biological components is impossible.

This symposium will address several important distinctly human "biologically enculturated" characteristics, both in relation to each other and in contrast to our evolutionary cousins. Goals include transdisciplinary interactions, improved self-understanding, promotion of ethically sound studies to explain known differences, and the generation of new, potentially unexplored, insights on uniquely-human specializations. Given the interest in understanding our evolution, this symposium will also help to organize how and in what sequence distinctly human physical, mental, social, and cultural features evolved. Such understanding may help explain the origin of our species and how it came to now directly shape the planet, giving rise to the Anthropocene (a proposed geological epoch distinguished by human influence on climate and the environment).

Event Sessions

Media for each talk can be played by clicking on icons in the "Media" column, or by clicking on the individual talk titles below and then the attachment file at the bottom of the page.

Media	Session	Speakers
	Introduction	Ajit Varki, UC San Diego School of Medicine
	The Matrix of Comparative Anthropogeny	Pascal Gagneux, University of California, San Diego
	The Foundations of Cooperative Breeding	Alyssa Crittenden, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
	Childhood	Barry Bogin, Loughborough University
	Food for Thought: Nutrition & Diet	Margaret Schoeninger, University of California, San Diego
	Symbolic Play	Linda Marchant, Miami University
	Language	Robert Kluender, University of California, San Diego
	Teaching: Education by Master-Apprenticeship in Chimpanzees	Tetsuro Matsuzawa, Kyoto University
	Ancient Grandmothers, African Savannas	Kristen Hawkes, University of Utah
	Brains	Todd Preuss, Emory University School of Medicine, Yerkes Primate Research Center
	Skin	Nina Jablonski, Pennsylvania State University
	Fire and Early Homo Sapiens Innovations	Lyn Wadley, University of the Witwatersrand
	Music and Gene-Culture Coevolution	Aniruddh Patel, Tufts University
	Art, Story, Mind	Iain Davidson, University of New England, Australia (retired)
	Questions, Answers & Discussion	All Speakers

Event Glossary

A glossary for this event is available as a Searchable List and a PDF.