The Fruit, the Tree, and the Serpent
Why We See So Well
Seiten
2011
Harvard University Press (Verlag)
978-0-674-06196-5 (ISBN)
Harvard University Press (Verlag)
978-0-674-06196-5 (ISBN)
The global prominence of snakes in religion, myth, and folklore underscores our deep connection to them—but why, when few of us have firsthand experience? The answer, Isbell suggests, lies in snakes’ singular impact on primate evolution; predation pressure from snakes is ultimately responsible for the superior vision and large brains of primates.
From the temptation of Eve to the venomous murder of the mighty Thor, the serpent appears throughout time and cultures as a figure of mischief and misery. The worldwide prominence of snakes in religion, myth, and folklore underscores our deep connection to the serpent—but why, when so few of us have firsthand experience? The surprising answer, this book suggests, lies in the singular impact of snakes on primate evolution. Predation pressure from snakes, Lynne Isbell tells us, is ultimately responsible for the superior vision and large brains of primates—and for a critical aspect of human evolution.
Drawing on extensive research, Isbell further speculates how snakes could have influenced the development of a distinctively human behavior: our ability to point for the purpose of directing attention. A social activity (no one points when alone) dependent on fast and accurate localization, pointing would have reduced deadly snake bites among our hominin ancestors. It might have also figured in later human behavior: snakes, this book eloquently argues, may well have given bipedal hominins, already equipped with a non-human primate communication system, the evolutionary nudge to point to communicate for social good, a critical step toward the evolution of language, and all that followed.
From the temptation of Eve to the venomous murder of the mighty Thor, the serpent appears throughout time and cultures as a figure of mischief and misery. The worldwide prominence of snakes in religion, myth, and folklore underscores our deep connection to the serpent—but why, when so few of us have firsthand experience? The surprising answer, this book suggests, lies in the singular impact of snakes on primate evolution. Predation pressure from snakes, Lynne Isbell tells us, is ultimately responsible for the superior vision and large brains of primates—and for a critical aspect of human evolution.
Drawing on extensive research, Isbell further speculates how snakes could have influenced the development of a distinctively human behavior: our ability to point for the purpose of directing attention. A social activity (no one points when alone) dependent on fast and accurate localization, pointing would have reduced deadly snake bites among our hominin ancestors. It might have also figured in later human behavior: snakes, this book eloquently argues, may well have given bipedal hominins, already equipped with a non-human primate communication system, the evolutionary nudge to point to communicate for social good, a critical step toward the evolution of language, and all that followed.
Lynne A. Isbell is Professor of Anthropology and Animal Behavior at the University of California, Davis.
* Preface *1. Introduction *2. Primate Biogeography *3. Why Did Primates Evolve? *4. Primate Vision *5. Origins of Modern Predators *6. Vision and Fear *7. Venomous Snakes and Anthropoid Primates *8. Why Only Primates? *9. Testing the Snake Detection Theory * Epilogue: Implications for Humans * Appendix * References * Acknowledgments * Index
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 30.10.2011 |
|---|---|
| Zusatzinfo | 33 line illustrations, 3 tables |
| Verlagsort | Cambridge, Mass |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 156 x 235 mm |
| Gewicht | 340 g |
| Themenwelt | Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte |
| Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Evolution | |
| Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Humanbiologie | |
| ISBN-10 | 0-674-06196-9 / 0674061969 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0-674-06196-5 / 9780674061965 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
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