According to canine DNA, dogs began to become distinct from wolves about 150,000 years ago even though anatomically modern dog remains only appeared about 15,000 ago. One can tell when they began to interact with with humans by the changes in human hunting tools. The large stone axes and heavy spears favored by Neanderthals were replaced with light throwing spears, slings, atladls and bows. These are only useful when one has dogs to track and hold large game at bay.
It is interesting that although our DNA tell us that we separated from Neanderthals about 500,000 years ago, anatomically modern men only appear about 50,000 years ago. Recent experiments in Russia with foxes have shown that foxes bred for tameness will become so for several generations before their their appearance changes. Thus, the late Neanderthals who left traces of religious behavior may have substantially neotenized.
Budiansky, Stephen,
The Covenant of the Wild: Why Animals Chose Domestication.
New York: William Morrow & Co., Inc., 1992.
Explains the role of neoteny (domestication) in the Neolithic Revolution
and how it was as much a biological as a technological evolution.
Ray
[more gratuitous Chris Smither]
Well, Charlie Darwin looked so far
Into the way things are.
He caught a glimpse of God's
unfolding plan.
God said: "I'll make some DNA"
They can use it any way they want
From paramecium
Right up to man."
"They'll have sex
And mix up sections of their code
They'll have mutations...
The whole thing works like clockwork over time."
"I'll just sit back in the shade
While everyone gets laid.
That's what I call
Intelligent design."
Yeah, you and your cat named Felix,
Both wrapped up in that double helix,
Is what we call
Intelligent design.
________________________________
From: Geoffrey Purcell >
No, religion got started way back in the Palaeolithic era. After all, the Neanderthals were known to have religion too, given burial rites/belief in afterlife. Indeed, one could even argue that religion happened even further back. For example, our pet dogs seem to hold us humans to be gods of a sort.
Geoff
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