Grandmas Made Humans Live Longer: Chimp Lifespan Evolves Into Human Longevity, Computer Simulation

[xchrom]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121023204142.htm

Grandmas Made Humans Live Longer: Chimp Lifespan Evolves Into Human Longevity, Computer Simulation Shows

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Kristen Hawkes, a distinguished professor of anthropology at the University of Utah, is publishing a new study in which a computer simulation of evolution provides support for her controversial “grandmother hypothesis.” The theory says that because a few older women among human ancestors began caring for their grandchildren, their daughters could have more children at shorter intervals, and that women ended up evolving long postmenopausal lifespans, unlike female apes who rarely survive past their childbearing years. (Credit: Lee J. Siegel, University of Utah)

ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2012) — Computer simulations provide new mathematical support for the "grandmother hypothesis" -- a famous theory that humans evolved longer adult lifespans than apes because grandmothers helped feed their grandchildren.

"Grandmothering was the initial step toward making us who we are," says Kristen Hawkes, a distinguished professor of anthropology at the University of Utah and senior author of the new study published Oct. 24 by the British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

The simulations indicate that with only a little bit of grandmothering -- and without any assumptions about human brain size -- animals with chimpanzee lifespans evolve in less than 60,000 years so they have a human lifespan. Female chimps rarely live past child-bearing years, usually into their 30s and sometimes their 40s. Human females often live decades past their child-bearing years.

The findings showed that from the time adulthood is reached, the simulated creatures lived another 25 years like chimps, yet after 24,000 to 60,000 years of grandmothers caring for grandchildren, the creatures who reached adulthood lived another 49 years -- as do human hunter-gatherers.

[johnlucas]

1. Sounds very interesting

I used to study chimpanzees in high school.
This looks to be a pretty sound theory.
John Lucas

[madrchsod]

2. what about grandfathers?

i`ve been involved with my grand daughter since the day she was born. i have been her babysitter since she was around two months old and right now i`m waiting for her father to bring her over.

i was basically raised in a two grandmother household. my mom worked part time both days and nights. one grandmother lived in the next house and the other lived with my family. i learned how to cook,clean,and wash clothes from my grandmothers things that i was my dad taught me how to fix things and work on cars.

now i`ve passed all these things i`ve learned to my children and grandchildren.

[Voice for Peace]

3. don't throw grandma off the cliff!!