Survival of the friendliest: convergent evolution in dogs, bonobos and humans?

Date: 

Monday, March 6, 2017, 4:00pm

Location: 

Biological Labs Room 1080, 16 Divinity Avenue

Brian Hare, Associate Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University.

Comparisons between chimpanzees and human infants suggest that humans develop cooperative communicative abilities that evolved since we shared a common ancestor.  Brian will present experiments that point to convergent evolution between dogs, bonobos and humans as a result of selection for prosociality. This includes more human-like cooperative communicative skills in dogs and bonobos than those observed in wolves and chimpanzees.  Dr. Hare will then propose that selection for prosociality differentiated Homo sapiens from other human species during the Upper Paleolithic and allowed us to remain the last human standing.