The Grandmother Hypothesis

Warrigal

Warrigal

SF VIP
Location
Sydney, Australia
Being a grandmother myself, I naturally see the truth of this hypothesis.

The Grandmother Hypothesis

By Penny Johnston (Penny is the presenter of Babytalk)

Could you possibly imagine that the rise of Human Beings as a dominant species could be laid at the feet of our grandmothers? The Grandmother Hypothesis is an anthropological theory suggesting that civilisation, family bonding, communication, long life and the development of empathy might all be due to the role of older, non childbearing women in the earliest groups of human beings! It's a fascinating idea and came about by observing the behaviour of tribal grandmothers interacting with their grandchildren while searching for food in Africa.

The Grandmother Hypothesis began to evolve when anthropologists, ethnographers and zoologists studying the family groupings of the chimpanzees and other apes started to wonder why females lost their fertility long before their lifespan ended. What role did these older infertile females play in the family group? What tasks did they take on to ensure the survival of the larger clan? Did they contribute to the rise in population of homo sapiens as a species and was their role in the survival of younger children so valuable that family grouping and civilization was the end result?

Distinguished Professor Kristen Hawkes from the University of Utah began her research as an ethnographer looking at the Hadza hunter-gatherers in Africa. She noticed that the older women in the society spent their days collecting food for their grandchildren. That was the light bulb that sparked Professor Hawkes' interest in the 'Grandmother Hypothesis', which says that humans evolved to live so long because grandmothers were around to help take care of the toddlers and small children allowing their daughters to have more children and more quickly.

The Grandmother Hypothesis goes further than to establish the importance of grandmothers. In our early years as a species, the theory goes, older women helped gather food for their offsprings' offspring. In so doing, they were freeing up their daughters to have more children, more quickly. So the most evolutionary fit grandmothers have the most grandchildren, to whom they pass on their longevity-promoting genes.

Modern families continue to benefit from the incredibly valuable input of Grandmothers into childrens lives, so if you know a grandmother that's contributing to the function of their family you'll have to make sure you tell them that their role was pre-destined before civilization began... and make sure you remember we wouldn't be anywhere without her!
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My mum was invaluable to me as I raised my little ones.
I've carried on the tradition with my grandchildren, equally helping my daughter and daughter in law to raise their children.

It isn't always the case. My mother's mother died before I was born and my other grandmother, though close geographically, as in just across the street, did not play any significant part in our lives. Mum was supported by her sisters, one of whom was a spinster. The role of aunties should not be overlooked either.
 

I never really got to know my grandmothers, I was a change of life baby, so my mother was older when she had me, and my grandparents had passed before I could really enjoy them. I don't have any children, but my mother was a very loving grandmother to both of my sister's children.
 
My grandmothers were an important part of my childhood and adult life. My maternal grandmother moved in with us when I was about 5. My mother did not have good health and my grandmother helped her run the house and take care of us. She died at age 86 when I was 39.

My other grandmother was the image of the typical grandmother back then. Always had homemade cookies in the cookie jar for visitors, nice family dinners, always generous at Xmas and birthdays.

My only regret living abroad is not being a bigger part of my granddaughters' lives. Long visits annually and lots of Skyping but not the same.
 

I lived with my grandparents when I was a small child. My parents were getting a divorce and Mom and I stayed with my grandparents. Mom was working a lot and doing her thing so most of my time was with grandma. Grandpa was drinking heavy at the time and grandma did her best to protect me from his rants.

She instilled most of my good habits, the bad ones I learned on my own. After mom remarried, I went to live with them and had a fairly normal life from there on.
 
Unfortunately... For the most part.. it is the MATERNAL grandmothers that are given the most interaction with grandchildren. Paternal grandmothers (not always, but usually) are relegated to the role of bit players. Very sad.. My mother disliked my father's mother and I was granted very little contact with her. That was unfortunate. As an adult, I found that I had missed out on 50% of my heritage.. how unfair. I was able to connect with her on my own as an adult and learned so many interesting things about my family that I had no clue of prior. She was a very interesting person.. and nowhere near the shrew I had been falsely led to believe.

My own 4 year old grandson refers to his mothers mother as his "Real" grandmother. I don't correct him as he is very young and is just reflecting the reality of his world as he understands it. It is my hope that as my grandchildren get older I can connect with them in a much more meaningful manner. But for now, I take what I can get and don't complain.
 
My maternal grandmother held us all together.....uncles, aunts, cousins..the lot!
she made fantastic pastry, and always listened to us grandchildren; especially when 'our parents didn't understand us'.

my paternal grandmother died when I was one; Mum said she was very Victorian, and must have turned in her grave at some of my antics!

i have 2 sons; but both my 'daughters in law' have lost their mothers.....so they only have me!
they survive!
 
I think that Grandparents today play a very important role still, in looking after children. A lot of Mothers could not go to work if it wasn't for Grandma helping out either during the week and at holiday times.As QS says, the maternal grandmother seems to take precedence, but we just have to live with that.Grandparents have more time to play and interact with children [more than their parents] and also listen more.
 
I'm clearly damaged goods. . . both my grandmothers passed before I was out of infancy. From what I've learned, I think I would have really enjoyed my paternal grandmother. She was a professional artist and supported her family.

pic Maude Keebler Page and her son BCP.jpg
Goodness look at that waste.
 
I never knew my grandparents as they lived far away and died when I was small. My own parents were very sweet to my son and so were his paternal grandparents. But my son never had any kids, so I'm grandchildless...I do have a grandkitty though.

Josiah that is a very nice photograph - must be around the turn of the century by the looks of the dress.
 

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