Owen Lovejoy's Creation Narrative

C. Owen Lovejoy is a highly respected Biological Anthropologist. He has been one of the foremost experts in human evolution since he began his career the 1960's. He is particularly well known for his theory on the origin of bipedalism (walking upright on two feet). Bipedalism is the first trait that separates us from apes, therefore, Lovejoy is studying how humans first became human. Most recently, he refined his theory for a publication in the journal Science, entitled "Reexamining Human Origins in Light of Ardipithecus ramidus". This is an examination of one of our earliest known human ancestors. The following is a summary of his narrative:

There are two important physical characteristics of Ardipithecus ramidus that we can clearly see from their skeletons: they were bipedal, and there was little sexual dimorphism (males and females were very similar in size, like humans today, and unlike gorillas or other large apes). Usually, when a species has males and females that are similar in size, the species is monogamous (males and females mate exclusively with one partner.) This pattern is seen in many other animals, and particularly in primates. Therefore, Lovejoy argues that Ardipithecus ramidus was monogamous.

Lovejoy argues that bipedalism evolved because males would travel long distances to get meat and other food with which they could tempt females to mate with them. Carrying food over long distances is hard for apes, but walking upright would allow early humans to carry food in their arms. Eventually, males who were good providers not only could convince females to mate with them, but would continue to provide for their mates and their children. Females could stay close to home, caring for the young, and ensuring their survival. Males who were good hunters, then, would pass down their genes, leading to the evolution of bipedalism.

On the female side, Lovejoy argues that monogamy led to many of the unique sexual characteristics that humans have. For example, human females do not have any visible sign of fertility when they ovulate. This is rare in animals, since it's easier to pass on your genes if you know when to have sex. Human females, however, have the ability (and can have the desire) to have sex at any time during their monthly hormone cycle. Lovejoy argues that these traits evolved in order to attract and keep males in long-term relationships. Males needed to stay close to females, and continue providing her with food, because the males would not know exactly when mating would lead to offspring. And the ability to have sex at any time would help create emotional bonds between partners, so males would continue to bring food to their partners and their children, helping ensure their survival.

As Lovejoy wrote in an earlier article in the journal Science: "Can the nuclear family not be viewed as a prodigious adaptation central to the success of early hominids? If the model is correct . . . it implies that the nuclear family and human sexual behavior may have their ultimate origin long before in the dawn of the Pleistocene."