{"id":7344,"date":"2021-06-22T12:10:47","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T16:10:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/?page_id=7344"},"modified":"2024-06-12T13:27:13","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T17:27:13","slug":"did-humans-evolve-to-live-in-pairs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/exhibits\/virtual\/human-evolution\/behavior\/did-humans-evolve-to-live-in-pairs\/","title":{"rendered":"Did Humans Evolve to Live in Pairs?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Australopithecus afarensis<\/span><\/i>, an extinct hominin species and potential ancestor of modern humans (<\/span>Homo sapiens<\/span><\/i>), could have been a pair-bonded species. In living species, the differences between typical male and female bodies, or sexual dimorphism, can indicate whether or not a species lives in pairs. For example, pair-bonded primates typically have similar body sizes and similar teeth, while those that live individually or in a group do not. However, there are no living species with sexual dimorphism like that of <\/span>A. afarensis<\/span><\/i>. Fossils show that males and females had very different body sizes, but had almost no differences in their teeth.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"sexual<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lucy and Kadanuumuu are partial fossilized skeletons of a female and male Australopithecus afarensis. They have striking differences in body size, especially compared to the difference between female and male Homo sapiens.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the species was not pair-bonded, they should display full sexual dimorphism with large differences in both teeth and body size. Thus, paleoanthropologists have hypothesized that <\/span>A. afarensis<\/span><\/i> was either shifting towards being pair-bonded or completely pair-bonded but retained size differences. A larger size may have been advantageous for inter-male competition or for protection from predators. If these hominins were pair-bonded, this could mean that the origins of modern human relationships have deep roots in time.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lucy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The canine tooth of Australopithecus afarensis (center) is more like a modern human (right) than a chimp (left).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Kaya Borlase (\u201921)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Investigate other behavior questions<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n \n
\n \n Did Early Hominins Use Tools Like Modern Chimps? <\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n \n
\n \n Did Spiritual Beliefs about Life and Death Emerge before Modern Humans? <\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n \n
\n \n Human Evolution Exhibit Home <\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Australopithecus afarensis, an extinct hominin species and potential ancestor of modern humans (Homo sapiens), could have been a pair-bonded species. In living species, the differences between typical male and female bodies, or sexual dimorphism, can indicate whether or not a species lives in pairs. For […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":0,"parent":7290,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"overlay_title":false,"hide_featured_image_post":false,"wfu_hide_page_title":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7344","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDid Humans Evolve to Live in Pairs? - Timothy S. Y. 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