Brain Evolution and Cultural Development
Of course, this is not what Ong means by writing being a technology that restructures thought, but we have a growing body of evidence that our brains, as a species, are still evolving, and this current study finds some of our recent evolution began about the same time as major cultural developments:
By comparing modern man with our ancestors of 37,000 years ago, the Chicago team discovered big changes in two genes linked to brain size.
One of the new variants emerged only 5,800 years ago yet is present in 30% of today’s humans, they believe.
This is very short in evolutionary terms, suggesting intense selection pressures, they told Science.
Each gene variant emerged around the same time as the advent of so called “cultural” behaviours.
The microcephalin variant appeared along with the emergence of traits such as art and music, religious practices and sophisticated tool-making techniques, which date back to about 50,000 years ago.
It is now present in about 70% of humans alive today.
The other, called the ASPM variant, originated at a time that coincides with the spread of agriculture, settled cities and the first record of written language. [Read full BBC News article.]
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