Science
Ancient Humans Knew Incest Was Gross and Built a Safety Net
They put Game of Thrones characters to shame.
Wikimedia Commons
Cultural disavowal aside, incest and subsequent inbreeding are not great. Incestuous relationships result in children with less genetic diversity, which increases their likelihood of developing genetic diseases . Accordingly, early humans figured out what a fair number of Game of Thrones characters haven’t yet: That you should do your best not to have sex with your immediate relations.
In a study published in Science on Thursday, archeologists and geneticists reveal that early humans started to avoid inbreeding much earlier than we once thought. Genomic sequencing of four Upper Paleolithic humans who were buried together in Russia about 34,000 years ago demonstrated they were no closer than second cousins, which co-author Eske Willerslev, Ph.D. says “goes against what many would have predicted.”
This likely means that early humans took extra precautions when it came time to pick a mate, connecting with a wider network of groups beyond their small family unit in order to maintain genetic diversity. The scientists believe that these hunter-gatherer bands must have developed a purposeful system for mate selection — otherwise, they would see more evidence of inbreeding.
A modern human skull on the left, a Neanderthal skull on the right. Wikimedia
The same cannot be said for Neanderthals, who seemed to think incest was just fine, according to research on 50,000-year-old specimens. While scientists don’t know exactly why they did so, they cautiously theorize that Homo sapiens survived as a species while the Neanderthals did not because we largely avoided inbreeding.
But early humans may have had another trick that gave them a leg up over Neanderthals : romance . Or, at least, some semblance of romance. These four humans were found in a burial site together, which is rare, and the site also contained what seems to be purposefully chosen objects and jewelry.
These artifacts, say the study authors, suggest that there were developed rules and rituals that accompanied the exchange of mates between groups — ceremonies that could have foreshadowed the invention of modern marriage services.
If you liked this article, check out this video about incest on Game of Thrones.
Did first humans have incest? Russia: Prehistoric Remains Show Humans Knew Not to Have Sex With Their Relatives 34,000 Years Ago. Even 34,000 years ago, our ancestors knew incest was a bad idea. Analysis of ancient human remains discovered in Russia has revealed that even among an extremely small society,
inbreeding did not take place.
more What is more important a human being or a being human? Not only is it the case that
human beings are more valuable than non-humans, all human beings are equally valuable. This second aspect of the importance of being human will be given no treatment here.
more What do you understand by the term human settlement enlist various factors affecting human settlement? Human Settlement is
a form of human habitation which ranges from a single dowelling to large city. In other words, it is a process of opening up and settling of a previously uninhabited area by the people. People live in clusters of houses that might be a village, a town or a city.
more How do you define social development sustainable development human development and sustainable human development? The Official Definition Of Sustainable Development Sustainable development is
the idea that human societies must live and meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
more What is the relationship between human rights and human needs? The ideas of human rights and basic human needs are
closely connected. Human rights – rights that apply for every person because they are a human – can be seen as rights to the fulfilment of, or ability to fulfil, basic human needs. These needs provide the grounding for human rights.
more Can leishmaniasis spread from human to human? Because
leishmaniasis is not considered to be a disease that can be transmitted between individuals without the intervention of a vector species, laboratory tests for the presence of these parasites to rule out prospective donors are not carried out prior to in most invasive therapeutic procedures.
more Can you see a human egg with the human eye? Egg are larger than any other cell in the human body, at about 100 microns (or millionths of a meter) in diameter, about the same as a strand of hair. That means
you could, in theory, see an egg cell with the naked eye.
more What is human security '? Write any two types of human security? There are essentially seven issues associated human security. These are
economic security, food security, health security environmental security, personal security, community security, and political security.
more What is the difference between a human right and a human need? "
A 'human needs' approach appeals to charity, while a 'human rights' approach translates need into a matter of entitlement with dignity. Universal access to modern energy services falls within the purview of 'human rights' conversations; therefore, a 'human rights' approach should be adopted in SEFA."
more How does human population growth affect the ecosystem What are the consequences of human activities? Human population growth impacts the Earth system in a variety of ways, including:
Increasing the extraction of resources from the environment. These resources include fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal), minerals, trees, water, and wildlife, especially in the oceans.
more Does human rights cover all human needs? Human rights cover virtually every area of human activity. They include civil and political rights, such as freedom of speech and freedom from torture. They also include economic and social rights, such as the rights to health and education.
more