ABOUT 70,000 years ago a massive volcanic eruption ushered in disastrous climate change and drove our early human ancestors to near extinction. From the few who survived came a population explosion along with the development of sophisticated tools and symbolic thought. Emerging from Africa, these humans became the most advanced species on the planet.
What sparked this remarkable turnaround? According to Matt Rossano, it was religion.
Religion is often portrayed as an evolutionary by-product: cognitive functions, such as symbolic thought, were selected for their survival benefits and religion tagged along for the ride. Rossano, by contrast, argues that religion…
