The significance of this study goes beyond identifying the roots of our altruism. Cooperative behavior also favored the evolution of our exceptional cognitive abilities. During development, human children gradually construct their cognitive skills based on extensive selfless social inputs from caring parents and other helpers, and the researchers believe that it is this new mode of caring that also put our ancestors on the road to our cognitive excellence. This study may, therefore, have just identified the foundation for the process that made us human. As Burkart suggests: "When our hominin ancestors began to raise their offspring cooperatively, they laid the foundation for both our altruism and our exceptional cognition."
Sakis play the group service game.
(Photo Credit: (Video: UZH, Jacqueline Huber))
The individual on the right hand side pulls the board for its group mates.
(Photo Credit: Picture: Judith Burkart)
Source: University of Zurich