Two Cornerstones in the Psychobiological Development of Mankind: The increase in frequency of pregnancies during the neolithic revolution and ‘physiological prematurity’.
Ludwig Janus MD
The human being is a product of both biological and psychological factors, the two being interconnected. During the neolithic revolution, stock-farming and agriculture led to protein-enriched nutrition significantly increasing the rate of pregnancy. Women could become pregnant annually, rather than every 4 years or so as before. But this demanded too much of the mother for the bonding needs of her children, and contributed in early high cultures to increased dependency and aggressiveness. Also the infant’s large human brain, within with the mother’s upright posture, required babies to be born some 12 months earlier than the equivalent of other mammals (allowing for weight). This so-called ‘physiological prematurity’ left babies helpless and vulnerable, but their unique development of appeal, by smiles, gestures, voice exchanges and eye-contact, engaged from mothers and fathers that vital substitute for this early loss of uterus –exceptional extended care. Perhaps from this primal social acquirement comes our creation of protective spaces, characteristic of our cultures – institutions, buildings, social spaces. The psycho-social implications of shorter pregnancy intervals and ‘psycho-physiological prematurity’ will be discussed.