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 expression 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 (c) strengthening bonds between the group members; 2. Soft and gentle humming, which was a key factor to allow hominids (a) to maintain contact within a group, (b) to watch out for predators, and (c) to relax.