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The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution (2009)

by Gregory Cochran(Favorite Author)

3.83 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0465002218 (ISBN13: 9780465002214)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Basic Books

review 1: This is a fascinating book on the mutual influence of genes on culture and of culture on genes. The "explosion" referred to in the title was the advent of agriculture, which greatly multiplied the size of the human population, greatly altered culture, and redirected human evolution down new paths to adapt to this new culture. When human population increased the rate of genetic mutations increased correspondingly, which increased the rate of evolution (by 100 fold according to the authors). Humans, especially those in densely populated areas, have been evolving rapidly in the last 10,000 years--and their evolution is driven by their environment, including their culture. But, then, newly evolved humans, being different from their ancestors, develop different cultural environ... morements more suitable to their nature. Thus, evolution and human culture form a feedback loop. Of course, in a world of relatively isolated regional and local populations, their will be different natural/cultural environments, hence differential evolution to adapt to them. Inuit amidst ice flows and tundra would not (and did not) evolve the same way as Melanesians on their tropical islands. And evolution may proceed quite rapidly under certain circumstances, particularly large population size and major environmental impetus. On top of well supported scientific theory, the authors add numerous examples of evolution-culture interaction throughout history. It's an important new perspective on history. The style of writing is clear, needless academic jargon wisely jettisoned. The historical examples that run through the book seem somewhat arbitrarily chosen, but, this being a relatively new field of inquiry, the authors are probably just following the trail of such evidence as we currently have. The newness also means we face some uncertainties of interpretation. The authors note evidential limitations when present, but are bold to cast forth their nets in some clever speculations, one of which has been confirmed since publication (non-African humans have some Neanderthal DNA). This is what scientists do and are meant to do when faced with uncertainty: formulate hypotheses, preferably intelligent, informed ones. In this book, we have something of a hybrid beast: a populist approach with some vanguard hypothesizing.
review 2: This is just the kind of exciting, accessible and provocative science that I like to read about. For the most part. Cochran and Harpending's book presents the argument that human evolution has increased in pace over the last 10,000 years. This is in contrast to a more standard view which argues that, due to the ability to culturally and technologically reshape our environment, modern human beings have less of a need to evolve biologically in response to environmental pressures. He begins with a few basics of populations genetic which support the likelihood of an increased rate of evolution in recent times. Among these are the increase in human population numbers; more people equals more chances for mutations to develop. Also important is the fact that our diets have changed more in the past 10,000 years than had hominin diets for the previous several million years. This would have introduced significant dietary pressures on us, and those who could tolerate or process certain foods (such as lactose) would be more evolutionarily successful. 10,000 years ago is a key starting point because it corresponds with the advent of agriculture, which introduced larger populations, new diets, crowded living, and more.Cochran and Harpending survey a range or very interesting ideas. They argue that humans almost definitely bred with Neanderthals. That lactose tolerance was a key to the spread of Indo-European languages, via the adaptable, milk-drinking people which spoke those tongues. They examine a number of genetic mutations which are limited to certain populations and reflect recent genetic (evolutionary) responses to environment and diet, like sickle-cell trait. They suggest that light skin color may have evolved for more than just the ability to synthesize more vitamin D, and that the human brain likely underwent important structural changes just in the past 30,000 years.All of this is seriously interesting, and a pleasure to read and debate. The downside is that Cochran and Harpending are slim on evidence for much of this. I an inclined to believe they are largely correct, but too often the book reads like a laundry list of exciting suggestions, without much to back them up.This book certainly worth a quick read and makes some great food for thought. less

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