Reading 4 Flashcards
What is a key feature of human childbirth, long thought to be unique to homo sapiens that has been observed in our closest living relatives (chimpanzees)? What widely held belief does this challenge?
the arrival of the baby facing backwards relative to its mother.
calls into question the argument that backwards-facing babies were an important factor in the evolution of midwifery in humans. Rather than searching for assistance when they go into labour, pregnant chimps seek solitude.
Why were the researchers able to witness the birth?
The researchers were able to observe the births only because of their very close relationship with the animals they study. “We even sleep in the chimpanzee enclosures every night,” says Hirata, “so we could be in the same room as the pregnant females and record the behaviour from a very close distance.”
When was The idea that babies being born backwards — making it difficult for the mother to pick up and nurture the child — may have been instrumental in the evolution of midwifery first suggested by anthropologists?
1980s.
What does trevathan (the researcher that proposed the original hypothesis on reverse orientation) hve to say about childbirth in light of this info?
Trevathan says there are still aspects of human labour that make it “unique, or at least very unusual”. “One is the series of rotations that the fetus undergoes as it is born — I’m not sure that’s been called into question,” she says. “Another is routinely seeking assistance.”
She adds that the orientation of the human infant still provides a compelling explanation for the evolution of midwifery in humans because “assistance definitely facilitates delivery when the baby comes out in that position”.
How has trevathan been misinterpreted?
She also thinks her arguments have often been misinterpreted. “I have never said assistance is a necessity in human childbirth, but rather that it’s beneficial.”
Trevathan thinks that the pertinent question is not why humans have evolved midwifery, but rather why chimps have not.
