The idea reframes human evolution to emphasize herd and pack‑style social psychology rather than treating humans as merely enlarged, more intelligent apes. Proponents claim this explains collective behaviors — from militarism and cult membership to market manias and suicide — better than ape‑centric models.
— If accepted, the framing would shift how scholars and policymakers interpret social cooperation, conflict, and collective risk, altering approaches in fields from conflict prevention to mental‑health policy.
Jake Currie
2026.05.04
80% relevant
The paper’s pattern — hominins taking select carcass parts quickly and often not transporting whole carcasses — implies coordinated, time‑sensitive foraging and risk‑management consistent with pack‑style social foraging and cooperative access to resources, supporting the 'pack' sociality framing.
Jonathan Leaf
2026.03.06
100% relevant
Jonathan Leaf’s Law & Liberty essay and his book The Primate Myth argue directly for this repositioning, citing primatology and behavioral studies and arguing that the ape‑analogy is misleading.
← Back to all ideas