The Descent of the Child: Human Evolution from a New Perspective

By Elaine Morgan

Book Overview

Why are chimp babies skinny, while human babies are so fat they float? As humans developed greater intelligence--and increased cranial capacity--how did babies and mothers adapt to increased fetal brain size? And how did humans develop our unique intelligence. Elaine Morgan, an internationally bestselling science writer known for her iconoclastic take on evolutionary theory, addresses these questions and more in The Descent of the Child, an intriguing and controversial look at human evolution from the point of view of infant development.
Beginning with the assertion that much of our thinking about human evolution exercises an unconscious bias--that we envision an archetypal human being as an adult--Morgan sets out to explain why human infants evolved in the way they did. We are often told how, in the course of a million years, adults acquired increased dexterity, adaptability, intelligence, and powers of communication. We are seldom reminded that over the same period infants became more helpless, more vulnerable, and more inert. Morgan focuses on the relationship between these two facts as she develops a stunning theory of the origins of human intelligence she argues that our capacity for intelligence is a byproduct of evolving babyhood. Uniquely among primates, homo sapiens are born with considerable struggle, emerge wholly helpless, and continue to be dependent for a long time afterwards--only their eyes, faces, and vocal cords work. They don't know that they're not always going to be like that, Morgan posits, but, bent on survival, they try to manipulate their parents or other caregivers to do things that the babies can't do for themselves. (For instance, they'll cry for food, and only human babies continue crying after being picked up, sending a strong message not to be so remiss next time.) These early struggles, according to Morgan, provide our formative intellectual activity. It is in infancy that we really learn to think and to question.
In her much debated earlier works, Morgan has championed the controversial Aquatic Ape Theory of human evolution against the widely accepted Savannah Theory. The Descent of the Child takes her further into the fray with a provocative new argument adding new evidence to support AAT even as she explores such urgent topics as conception and infertility, the maturation of the fetus, child rearing and parental roles, overpopulation, and a woman's place in society. This fascinating book should be read by parents (both new and soon to be) as well as anyone interested in child development or human evolution.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195098951
• ISBN13: 9780195098952
• Release Date: April 1995
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

The Descent of the Child

The Descent of the Child: Human Evolution from a New Perspective wriiten by Elaine Morgan is a book that is very thought-provoking and opens your mind to the biological origins of human naturalness and its role in our modern life.The author has a very friendly narrative as she takes the reader through the generation of new life and its gradual development into an adult human. Also, you'll engaged in science of human development making for an interesting read.The author brings to light why among primates is it that man's newborns are more helpless than chimpanzee infant. There are a lot of things that differ between man and the rest of the aminal kingdom. Why is that way? How come man is diferent? This book attempts to answer these questions and others.For a book, this is a highly readable account, that can give new insight with facts both biological and social, making for some very fascinating reading. I found this book, not only enlightening, but entertaining... it kept my interest till the end. This book is about the human evolution and why it is as it is... human intelligence is a byproduct of evolving babyhood. Interesting... indeed.

Water babies?

Morgan's books uniformly challenge traditional thinking. Unlike her other works, which postulate a novel thesis, then go on to provide conjectural evidence for its validity, this one is a wealth of information which is finally brought into a conceptual framework. In this book, her theory of human evolution passing through an aquatic phase remains the basis for why the human fetus develops in ways vastly different from our nearest biological neighbours, the chimpanzees and great apes.In order to establish a foundation for her claim, Morgan takes us along a highly detailed, but characteristically readable, trek. The journey commences at the moment of conception, follows the stages of development of the human infant. Along the way we are introduced to the pros and cons of older theses of fetal progression. The difficulties of birth are intense; Morgan augments the event's hazards with abundant detail about the baby's physiognomic changes occurring at this moment of entry into the world. She manages to downplay much of the mythology about 'birth trauma' by showing how evolution has equipped infants with natural defenses against this abrupt shift of environment. Morgan then continues the development of children and the many parental and other social obstacles children endure. Children spend an immense amount of time and energy in learning to communicate. Parents need to learn to listen to these efforts and understand the process more adequately. While Judith Rich Harris' THE NURTURE ASSUMPTION hadn't been published when this book was written, Morgan stresses the strong impact of peers on children's development. As Rich Harris points out, this area needs further attention, although it's doubtful it would change Morgan's ideas.Morgan's ultimate goal in this book is two-fold. Children's individuality is poorly addressed by our society. The idea of children being 'little adults' must be abandoned in favour of fuller understanding of how a child functions and why the differences between adults and children are important. She is sharply critical of conditions in the UK [which can readily be projected to North America] dealing with children's needs.The other goal Morgan seeks, of course, is wider acceptance of her notion that fetal and infant differences between us and the other apes is symptomatic of different evolutionary paths. Her physiological evidence is clearly presented and lucidly explained. What is lacking, of course, is valid fossil evidence in support of the idea. The area that might provide that evidence remains under water, which is where the thesis must reside, as well.Morgan's prose style is clear and unpretentious. It's hard to dispute information so well organized and lucidly presented. She panders to the FemiNazis with lengthy excuses for referring to babies as 'he'; space which could better have been used to review her thesis in more detail. Still, like her other books, this one raises many

Great book

This superb book is great for new parents. They'll learn much not only about their own child and its developement, but why the child's nature is in so many ways responsible for our adult nature. This book is perfect for laypersons, but it's also recommended for evoltionary biologist. It just may change your view of children.

A must for all new parents, how babies take you in hand.

I only read this book two years ago, at 55! Elaine Morgan haschanged the way I look at babies forever. I have a two year-oldgranddaughter nearby. All I see her do now is illuminated by this book. She, my granddaughter, is an absolute champion at figuring out how to get us, the adults in her life, to do her bidding, in a way that just proves Elaine Morgan's theory, Babies know just what they need and how to get it. All parents and grandparents be warned, you will be won over without any problem at all, you will love every minute of it. This is THE gift book for every new mother in your life.

Fascinating, compelling subject, lively language

In this lively book, Elaine Morgan presents the intriguing idea that the study of the evolution of the infant provides a better look at our origins than the usual view of adult changes through the millions of years of our existence. She takes us on the journey from insemination to conception to birth with clarity and humor, including social comments with the scientific wonders. And presents a rather amazing theory that we became the only "naked ape" with a huge brain capacity in a watery environment, linking us closer to dolphins and whales than to gorillas or chimpanzees. She left me wanting to know more, with a bibliography to explore!