#300 Kristen Hawkes: The Grandmother Hypothesis
RECORDED ON DECEMBER 13th, 2019.
Dr. Kristen Hawkes is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the University of Utah. Dr. Hawkes, an expert in human evolution and sociobiology, is the author of several studies on the “grandmother hypothesis,” which asserts that many of the characteristics that distinguish us from our ape ancestors are thanks to the thoughtful care of our grandmothers. Her research is based on ethnographic observation studies of hunter-gatherer communities such as the Aché and Hadza. She has also developed mathematical models to model evolution over time and trace the influence of grandmothers on human lifespan. Combining mathematical modelling and observational studies she also researches the effects of fire on ancient hunter-gatherers.
In this episode, we focus on the grandmother hypothesis. First, Dr. Hawkes tells us about how she got to study the Aché in Eastern Paraguay, and the Hadza in Tanzania, and the insights she got from them. We go on a bit of a tangent to talk about human foraging behavior, and why men hunt. Then, we discuss the grandmother hypothesis in its several dimensions, referring to how grandmothers during our evolutionary history contributed to the success of their grandchildren, and also increased their daughters’ fertility, for example. We also address the relationship between grandmothers and the evolution of human life history. Finally, we talk about the evolution of menopause, the role of grandfathers, and grandmothers in modern societies.
Time Links:
The Aché, the Hadza, and their lifeways
Why do men hunt?
The evolution of our big brains and life history
The grandmother hypothesis
How grandmothers contribute to their grandchildren’s success
The evolution of menopause. And what came first, menopause or human life history?
Is there differential investment between paternal and maternal grandmothers?
What about grandfathers?
Is grandmothering a human universal?
Grandmothers in modern societies
Using anthropology to better understand how humans fare in modern societies
Follow Dr. Hawkes’ work!
Follow Dr. Hawkes’ work:
Faculty page: http://bit.ly/2BcYOSW
Research works on ResearchGate: http://bit.ly/2BeWE58
CARTA page: http://bit.ly/38DDQvR