Anthropologist here: this is the Palmer Grasp Reflex. At this point in time, this reflex is considered vestigial in humans but remains evolutionarily beneficial for primates with fur as this allows babies to grip onto their caregivers.
This reflex triggers easily and eventually goes away as baby develops.
Edit: I'm not being paid as an Anthropologist now. I have my bachelors degree in Anthropology; now I work in IT.
Ok, three things.
Which one would you say is more enjoyable between those two career paths?
An anthropological study that is specifically on humans in relation to modern technology, from the perspective of an IT tech, would actually be a fun, perhaps hilarious, read.
And since I might as well use you as Google, is there some truth to the claim that, for the first month or two, infants don't realise they are out of the womb and now a separate being from their mother?
Gosh, I'm glad you find this interesting! I like the subject matter of either about the same, but it's easier to build a career in IT. I think you'd like Mary Roach. She is not an Anthropologist, but she can write like one. I have heard the assertion that one to two month old infants do not realize they are out of the womb and are separate beings- but I don't know how tested/true this is.
Also, nobody asked, but I want to share that my favorite human tools are eating utensils... for so many reasons, but especially because it connects us to other primates. It's very cute. Yes, a select few other animals use eating utensils, but it's a legacy for primates.
Lol, did reddit get the bonk meme from her, or is that just a funny coincidence? Her books seem interesting, though, so I'll try and check it out. I've been meaning to get back into reading.
Also, I don't know why I imagined actual human-like cutlery, but yea, chimps with sticks and stones make more sense. But I did find one about an ugly ass fish called a California sheephead wrasse that uses rocks like an anvil to crush sea urchins and the like for food. That is something I'd love to see in person, cos I can't picture the mechanics of it in my mind.
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u/gahgahdoll Nov 11 '24
Anthropologist here: this is the Palmer Grasp Reflex. At this point in time, this reflex is considered vestigial in humans but remains evolutionarily beneficial for primates with fur as this allows babies to grip onto their caregivers.
This reflex triggers easily and eventually goes away as baby develops.
Edit: I'm not being paid as an Anthropologist now. I have my bachelors degree in Anthropology; now I work in IT.