#300 Kristen Hawkes: The Grandmother Hypothesis

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RECORDED ON DECEMBER 13th, 2019.
Dr. Kristen Hawkes is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the University of Utah. Dr. Hawkes, an expert in human evolution and sociobiology, is the author of several studies on the “grandmother hypothesis,” which asserts that many of the characteristics that distinguish us from our ape ancestors are thanks to the thoughtful care of our grandmothers. Her research is based on ethnographic observation studies of hunter-gatherer communities such as the Aché and Hadza. She has also developed mathematical models to model evolution over time and trace the influence of grandmothers on human lifespan. Combining mathematical modelling and observational studies she also researches the effects of fire on ancient hunter-gatherers.

In this episode, we focus on the grandmother hypothesis. First, Dr. Hawkes tells us about how she got to study the Aché in Eastern Paraguay, and the Hadza in Tanzania, and the insights she got from them. We go on a bit of a tangent to talk about human foraging behavior, and why men hunt. Then, we discuss the grandmother hypothesis in its several dimensions, referring to how grandmothers during our evolutionary history contributed to the success of their grandchildren, and also increased their daughters’ fertility, for example. We also address the relationship between grandmothers and the evolution of human life history. Finally, we talk about the evolution of menopause, the role of grandfathers, and grandmothers in modern societies.

Time Links:
01:21 The Aché, the Hadza, and their lifeways
13:48 Why do men hunt?
18:15 The evolution of our big brains and life history
21:43 The grandmother hypothesis
31:14 How grandmothers contribute to their grandchildren’s success
35:11 The evolution of menopause. And what came first, menopause or human life history?
43:37 Is there differential investment between paternal and maternal grandmothers?
48:54 What about grandfathers?
55:46 Is grandmothering a human universal?
1:01:47 Grandmothers in modern societies
1:07:29 Using anthropology to better understand how humans fare in modern societies
1:09:00 Follow Dr. Hawkes’ work!
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A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, PER HELGE LARSEN, LAU GUERREIRO, JERRY MULLER, HANS FREDRIK SUNDE, BERNARDO SEIXAS, HERBERT GINTIS, RUTGER VOS, RICARDO VLADIMIRO, BO WINEGARD, VEGA GIDEY, CRAIG HEALY, OLAF ALEX, PHILIP KURIAN, JONATHAN VISSER, DAVID DIAS, ANJAN KATTA, JAKOB KLINKBY, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, JOHN CONNORS, PAULINA BARREN, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, DAN DEMETRIOU, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ARTHUR KOH, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, MAX BEILBY, COLIN HOLBROOK, SUSAN PINKER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, PABLO SANTURBANO, SIMON COLUMBUS, PHIL KAVANAGH, JORGE ESPINHA, AND CORY CLARK!
A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, ROSEY, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, IAN GILLIGAN, SERGIU CODREANU, AND LUIS CAYETANO!
AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, MICHAL RUSIECKI!

I also leave you with the link to a recent montage video I did with the interviews I have released until the end of June 2018:

And check out my playlists on:

#TheDissenter #KristenHawkes #Anthropology #GrandmotherHypothesis

[PoliticallyPink]

Thank you so much for doing this interview! Dr. Hawkes was my Master's committee chair. Feeling low, missing the intellectualism of school, I thought if she were somewhere on youtube, then surely her brilliant mind and enthusiasm would cheer me.
And it did! And I'll use your channel again when I'm in the same frame of mind!

[andrew]

Great interview, when paired with Sarah Hrdy's work on alloparenting work in primates and humans, it is a very compelling argument.

[Lora_M_NY]

Is that accent real, or is he moonlighting from SNL....?