ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the evolution of our basic human genetic composition. It provides an overview of millions of years of evolution. If the environment remained the same throughout human history, author might attribute to it a passive albeit critical role in the course of human evolution. The chapter discusses why culture emerged early in human evolution. The widespread existence of altruism thus provides a powerful reason to believe that human culture emerged early and shaped genetic evolution. Pipes for making music date from around 40,000 years ago (but musical notation is only about 2,000 years old, and thus we have a limited idea of what music sounded like through most of human history).
