Raptors Shaped Human Sociality

Large predatory birds repeatedly preyed on small hominins and primate juveniles, leaving skeletal and behavioural traces (e.g., Taung child talon marks and predator‑specific alarm calls). Persistent aerial predation could have favoured group vigilance, specialised alarm vocalisations, and cooperative childcare — foundations that later scaffolded more complex social signalling and possibly proto‑language — while also seeding myths (Thunderbird, Te Hokioi) in human cultures. — If true, this idea reframes common narratives about the drivers of human sociality and language by highlighting aerial predation as a selective and cultural pressure, influencing anthropology, folklore studies, and public understanding of human origins.