Ancestral Landscapes in Human Evolution

PsycCritiques Ancestral Landscapes in Human Evolution is a well-written, captivating book that makes the case that infant care is an immensely complex yet intrinsically natural endeavor for many species, with humans providing exquisite cases for study because of our species' astounding cultural diversity. This book is an open invitation for readers to reflect on our inherent mammalian condition and our historicity as a species...

Darcia Narvaez is Professor of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Narvaez's research focuses on moral development through the lifespan. Her theories include how early life affects the neurobiology underpinning of moral functioning (triune ethics theory), how evolved parenting practices may foster optimal moral functioning and wellbeing, and how teachers can take steps to foster ethical capacities during regular instruction (integrative ethical education). Kristin Valentino is Assistant Professor of Psychology and the William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families Collegiate Chair at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Valentino's research interests are in developmental psychopathology where she studies how the integration of biological, psychological, and environmental factors can inform our understanding of typical and atypical development. Agustin Fuentes is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Fuentes' current foci include cooperation and bonding in human evolution, ethnoprimatology and multispecies anthropology, evolutionary theory, and public perceptions of, and interdisciplinary approaches to, human nature(s). James McKenna is Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Professor of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. McKenna pioneered the first behavioral and electro-physiological studies documenting differences between mothers and infants sleeping together and apart and has become known worldwide for his work in promoting studies of breast feeding and mother-infant cosleeping. Peter Gray is Research Professor of Psychology at Boston College. Dr. Gray has conducted and published research in neuroendocrinology, animal behavior, developmental psychology, anthropology, and education. His recent research has focused on the role of play in human evolution and how children educate themselves through play.

PREFACE ; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ; ABOUT THE EDITORS ; CONTRIBUTORS ; SECTION ONE: BASELINES FOR HUMAN MAMMALIAN DEVELOPMENT ; CHAPTER 1. CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT IN LIGHT OF EVOLUTION AND CULTURE ; DARCIA NARVAEZ, PETER GRAY, JAMES J. MCKENNA, AGUSTIN FUENTES, AND KRISTIN VALENTINO ; CHAPTER 2. THE EPIGENETICS OF MAMMALIAN PARENTING ; FRANCES A. CHAMPAGNE ; COMMENTARY: AS TIME GOES BY, A TOUCH IS MORE THAN JUST A TOUCH ; ERIC E. NELSON ; CHAPTER 3. NONHUMAN PRIMATE MODELS OF MENTAL HEALTH: EARLY LIFE EXPERIENCES AFFECT DEVELOPMENTAL TRAJECTORIES ; AMANDA M. DETTMER, STEPHEN J. SUOMI, AND KATHERINE HINDE ; COMMENTARY: LOOK HOW FAR WE HAVE COME: A BIT OF CONSILIENCE IN ELUCIDATING THE ROLE OF CAREGIVERS IN RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR DEVELOPING PRIMATE INFANTS AND CHILDREN ; JAMES J. MCKENNA ; SECTION TWO: EVOLUTION'S BASELINE: HUNTER GATHERER CONTEXTS ; CHAPTER 4. RELATIONSHIPS AND RESOURCE UNCERTAINTY: COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF EFE HUNTER-GATHERER INFANTS AND TODDLERS ; GILDA MORELLI, PAULA IVEY HENRY, AND STEFFEN FOERSTER ; COMMENTARY: SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS VS. MOTHERS ON THEIR OWN: RESEARCH ON HUNTER-GATHER TRIBES HIGHLIGHTS THE LACK OF SUPPORT MOTHERS AND BABIES RECEIVE IN THE U.S. ; KATHY KENDALL-TACKETT ; CHAPTER 5. BATEK CHILDREARING AND MORALITY ; KAREN L. ENDICOTT AND KIRK M. ENDICOTT ; COMMENTARY: PARENTING IN THE MODERN JUNGLE ; MICHAEL JINDRA ; CHAPTER 6. COSLEEPING BEYOND INFANCY: CULTURE, ECOLOGY, AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY OF BEDSHARING AMONG AKA FORAGERS AND NGANDU FARMERS OF CENTRAL AFRICA ; BARRY HEWLETT AND JENNIFER W. ROULETTE ; COMMENTARY: INTERTWINING THE INFLUENCES OF CULTURE AND ECOLOGY BROADENS A DEFINITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF CLOSENESS IN CARE ; WENDY MIDDLEMISS ; CHAPTER 7. THE ENVIRONMENT OF EVOLUTIONARY ADAPTEDNESS, ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE PLAY, AND THE SELECTION OF RESTRAINT IN HUMAN AGGRESSION ; DOUGLAS FRY ; COMMENTARY: EVOLUTIONARY ADAPTATION AND VIOLENT AGGRESSION: FROM MYTHS TO REALITIES ; RIANE EISLER ; CHAPTER 8. THE PLAY THEORY OF HUNTER-GATHERER EGALITARIANISM ; PETER GRAY ; COMMENTARY: COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF SOCIAL PLAY, FAIRNESS, AND FITNESS: WHAT WE KNOW AND WHERE WE SHOULD BE HEADING ; MARC BEKOFF ; SECTION THREE: CONTEXTS FOR THE EVOLUTION OF FAMILIES AND CHILDREN ; CHAPTER 9. INCENTIVES IN THE FAMILY I: THE FAMILY FIRM, AN EVOLUTIONARY/ECONOMIC THEORY FOR PARENT-OFFSPRING RELATIONS ; JOAN ROUGHGARDEN AND ZHIYUAN SONG ; CHAPTER 10. PRELIMINARY STEPS TOWARDS ADDRESSING THE ROLE OF NON-ADULT INDIVIDUALS IN HUMAN EVOLUTION ; AGUSTIN FUENTES ; COMMENTARY: CONFLICT AND EVOLUTION ; MELVIN KONNER ; SECTION FOUR: CONTEXTS GONE AWRY ; CHAPTER 11. CHILD MALTREATMENT AND EARLY MOTHER-CHILD INTERACTIONS ; KRISTIN VALENTINO, MICHELLE COMAS, AND AMY K. NUTTALL ; COMMENTARY: ANCESTRAL ATTACHMENT: HOW THE EVOLUTIONARY FOUNDATION OF ATTACHMENT INFORMS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CHILD MALTREATMENT INTERVENTIONS ; ALYSSA CRITTENDEN ; CHAPTER 12. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE IN EVOLUTIONARY DISCUSSIONS OF PTSD ; ROBYN BLUHM AND RUTH A. LANIUS ; COMMENTARY: THE MODELING OF COMPLEX PTSD CAN BENEFIT FROM THE CAREFUL INTEGRATION OF EVOLUTIONARY AND DEVELOPMENTAL ACCOUNTS ; PIERRE LIENARD ; CHAPTER 13. FROM THE EMERGENT DRAMA OF INTERPRETATION TO ENSCREENMENT ; EUGENE HALTON ; COMMENTARY: DARWINISM AND CHILDREN ; JONATHAN MARKS ; SECTION FIVE: CHILD FLOURISHING ; CHAPTER 14. CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENTS AND FLOURISHING ; TRACY GLEASON AND DARCIA NARVAEZ ; CHAPTER 15: POSTSCRIPT: BACK TO THE FUTURE ; JAMES MCKENNA ; INDEX