Historical Roots of International Conflict

Abstract

The ‘naked ape’¹ emerged from the jungle about 2 million years ago. Those of our ancestors who survived this move were the ones who learned to use their superior brains not only to combine with each other in hunting groups, which wolves and many other animals did, but also to throw missiles, which very few other species do. They later learned to fashion weapons to compete with the animals who ranged over the open plains, fleeter of foot and more powerful in tooth and claw. Humans who failed to master these cerebral arts either died of starvation or were caught and eaten by other carnivorous animals.