In this review we attempt to reconstruct the evolutionary history of hominin life history from
extant and fossil evidence. We utilize demographic life history theory and distinguish life …

What evolutionary events led to the emergence of human cognition? Although the genetic
differences separating modern humans from both non-human primates (for example …

Humans have an unusual life history, with an early weaning age, long childhood, late first
reproduction, short interbirth intervals, and long lifespan. In contrast, great apes wean later …

The materials mechanics of the controlled separation of a body into two or more parts–
cutting–using a blade or tool or other mechanical implement is a ubiquitous process in most …

Recent developmental studies demonstrate that early fossil hominins possessed shorter
growth periods than living humans, implying disparate life histories. Analyses of incremental …

From birth to adulthood, the human brain expands by a factor of 3.3, compared with 2.5 in
chimpanzees [DeSilva J and Lesnik J (2006) Chimpanzee neonatal brain size: Implications …

In the 1970s, mid‐Pliocene hominin fossils were found at the sites of Hadar in Ethiopia and
Laetoli in Tanzania. These samples constituted the first substantial evidence for hominins …

Growth and development are both fundamental components of demographic structure and
life history strategy. Together with information about developmental timing they ultimately …

Unique among animals, humans eat a diet rich in cooked and nonthermally processed food.
The ancestors of modern humans who invented food processing (including cooking) gained …

There is much controversy over what is needed for culture to flourish and what has led
human culture to be different from “cultural” characteristics of other animals. Here I argue …