Times to Fight and Times to Relax: Singing and Humming at The Beginnings of Human Evolutionary History

Abstract

The article discusses the function of music in human evolution and suggests that music initially had a binary form of expression, serving several important adaptive functions of physical survival. These two main forms of expressions were:

(1) Loud and rhythmically precisely organized singing, coupled with threatening body movements, loud drumming and stone throwing. This form was a key factor for (a) defending hominids from predators, (b) providing them with protein-rich food via aggressive scavenging, and (3) strengthenng bonds between the group members;

(2) Soft and gentle humming, which was a key factor to allow hominids (1) to maintain contact within group, (2) to watch out for predators, and (3) to relax.