Kindness made us human before intelligence: researcher

24 February 2015 - 14:12 By Times LIVE
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Our ancestors developed kindness before intelligence according to a scientist.

"Human evolution is usually depicted as driven by intelligence, with empathy and deeper emotions following," Penny Spikins, from York University said according to the International Business Times

"However, the evidence suggests it happened the other way round. Evolution made us sociable, living in groups and looking after one another, even before we had language. Our success since then, including the evolution of intelligence, all sprang from that."

Apparently Australopithecines carried around pebbles that resembled babies' faces over three million years ago despite having brains about a third of the size of a modern human's.

1.5 million years ago homo ergaster cared for their sick, and homo heidelbergensis nursed disabled young.

"Compassion is perhaps the most fundamental human emotion. It binds us together and can inspire us but it is also fragile and elusive," Spikins said.

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