'It takes a village': the evolution of human nature

'It takes a village': the evolution of human nature

This episode dives deep into the challenges and triumphs of understanding what really makes humans so different from other apes. Anthropologist and primatologist Professor Sarah Blaffer Hrdy joins science journalist Natasha Mitchell to chat about big questions in an accessible, story-rich way – think aeroplane cabins full of strangers, screaming babies and why chimpanzees would turn that into a bloodbath.

Across the conversation, you’ll hear Hrdy argue that our special knack for cooperation and empathy comes from how we raise children. Rather than war and constant conflict shaping our kindness, she suggests that "mothers evolved to depend on a lot of social support" and that it "takes a village" to raise our unusually helpless, long‑dependent children. Human babies, she explains, have always relied on "allomothers" – carers other than mum, including fathers, grandparents, siblings and other group members.

The pair unpack how this shared care may have allowed humans to develop long childhoods, big brains and a sophisticated "theory of mind" – our ability to imagine what others think and feel. Hrdy contrasts this with other apes, where mothers fiercely guard their infants and rarely let anyone else hold them. You’ll also hear her gently challenge classic ideas in evolutionary psychology and attachment theory, pointing out that much research assumed a strict mother‑only model of care.

She then connects all this to modern life – smaller families, isolated parenting and daycare – and raises a stark warning: if empathy and cooperation aren’t regularly expressed and supported, they may become less common over many generations. As she puts it, we could face "a future defined by selfishness".

If you’re curious about how our social brains evolved, why grandparents matter so much, and what today’s childcare choices might mean for tomorrow’s humans, this conversation offers plenty to mull over. What kind of "village" do you want future children to grow up in?