Human Evolution

When we started discussing The Tender Carnivore, we began with chapter three, which, as the title states, examines the significance of humanity's past. I am reading chapter two right now ("On the Responsibility of Being an Ape"), which is tracing human biological evolution from its primate ancestors. I was shocked in reading this chapter to see how "human" other primates are. There are apparently many traits, like color binocular vision, that are uniquely shared by humans and other primates. Another example is how social other primates are. I had no idea they were so much like us! By pointing out these similarities, Shepard has made me feel less like humans are some separate, higher being (and I think that's good).

Back to the topic of evolution. We talked in class about domesticating (genetically engineering) animals. I wonder how this relates to humans. We're still evolving, no doubt. One thing one hears a lot when discussing the birth of agriculture is the idea that humans evolved to become agriculturalists - that it is our destiny. I think this might be a unspoken assumption when people talk about "going back to hunting and gathering" as if it involves devolution. Shepard apparently wants us to become hunter-gatherers again, and I am curious to hear his arguments. Without yet hearing his arguments, however, I am more inclined to agree with Daniel Quinn, who says essentially, "we cannot become hunter-gatherers again, but we cannot stay agriculturalists, so we need to develop a new paradigm." Like I said, though, I'd like to hear what Shepard has to say on the subject.

-Tyler Wake