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We erstwhile shared the satellite with astatine slightest 7 different types of human. Ironically, our occurrence whitethorn person been owed to our deepest vulnerability: being babelike connected others
Humans 24 November 2021
Simon Pemberton
HUMANS contiguous are uniquely alone. For the bulk of the beingness of Homo sapiens, we shared the satellite with galore different types of human. At the clip erstwhile our lineage archetypal evolved successful Africa immoderate 300,000 years ago, determination were astatine slightest 5 others. And if you were going to spot a stake connected which of those would outlast each the rest, you mightiness not person enactment your wealth connected us.
The likelihood would person seemed much favourable for the Neanderthals, who had already adapted to unrecorded successful colder conditions and expanded to inhabit overmuch of Eurasia. Or Homo erectus, who had made a occurrence of surviving successful south-east Asia. By contrast, our nonstop Homo sapiens ancestors were the caller kids connected the block, and wouldn’t successfully settee extracurricular of Africa until much than 200,000 years later. Yet, by 40,000 years ago, oregon perchance a spot much recently, we were the lone humans near standing. Why?
Many explanations person been enactment forward: brainpower, connection oregon conscionable luck. Now, a caller thought is gathering momentum to explicate our dominance. Ironically, it whitethorn beryllium immoderate of our seemingly deepest vulnerabilities – being babelike connected others, feeling compassion and experiencing empathy – that could person fixed america the edge.
Today, surrounded by computers, phones and each the different clever things we person invented, it is casual to pin our occurrence connected our cognitive abilities. But the much we larn astir different types of human, the much they look akin to america successful this regard. In the lawsuit of Neanderthals, and perchance the mysterious Denisovans, this includes the quality to make blase …
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