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Review
. 2020 Sep 16:2:e47.
doi: 10.1017/ehs.2020.46. eCollection 2020.

Care of Infants in the Past: Bridging evolutionary anthropological and bioarchaeological approaches

Siân Halcrow  1 , Ruth Warren  1 , Geoff Kushnick  2 , April Nowell  3
Affiliations
Review

Care of Infants in the Past: Bridging evolutionary anthropological and bioarchaeological approaches

Siân Halcrow et al. Evol Hum Sci. .

Abstract

The importance of care of infants and children in palaeoanthropological and human behavioural ecological research on the evolution of our species is evident in the diversity of research on human development, alloparental care, and learning and social interaction. There has been a recent surge of interest in modelling the social implications of care provision for people with serious disabilities in bioarchaeology. However, there is a lack of acknowledgement of infant and child care in bioarchaeology, despite the significant labour and resources that are required, and the implications this has for health outcomes within societies. Drawing on the recent proliferation of studies on infancy and childhood in evolutionary anthropology and bioarchaeology, this paper presents ways the subdisciplines may draw on research developments from each field to advance a more holistic understanding of the evolutionary, social and health significance of infant and children care in the past.

Keywords: Infant care; bioarchaeology of care; human evolution; maternal and infant health; palaeoanthropology.

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Figures

None
Graphical abstract
Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Schematic of relationship between bioarchaeology and evolutionary anthropology.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Bioarchaeological model of infant and childcare in the past.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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