The Evolutionary Origin of Human Behavior: How Play & Evolution Carried Us from Our Reptile Predecessors to The Storytellers We Are Book

Up until now, there has been no explanation of how the outer layers of human behavior helped drive the evolution of ancient reptiles into modern-day humans. How did behavioral phenomena such as play, learning by copying, language, REM sleep, and storytelling influence the development of humanity as a whole?

The development of play was particularly important in the evolutionary process, as it provided the bridge between the instinctive brains of reptiles to the powerful brains of birds and mammals. Play, however, is just one factor that can help explain evolution and the development of human behavior.

In this book, you'll consider a gamut of issues, including

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• Evolutionary stages
  
• The paradox of animals that feed on animals
  
• The importance and repercussions of copy-learning
  
• Primitive games
  
• The emergence of sleep