Our distant ancestors.

In order to get an understanding of our distant ancestors who made the journey from the eastern Congo river and how this one million year long journey started - a good place to begin is by watching this BBC Four progrmme The Wonder of Animals introduced by Chris Packham. A group of the large ape family known as the Bonobos' have such skills and empathy - its so easy to see 'us in them'. Academics from Dukes University in the US have been keeping an eye on them for a number of years and what a story that have to tell. The brains of the Bonodos' due to their skills in manipulating tools enabled them to eat better, from such things as nuts, ants, fruits etc. As with the dog that has over many thousands of years been domesticated to get rid of the characteristics of the wolf. The same is true of the Bonobos'. They are to all intense and purposes the forerunners of us. They share the skills and teach each other the best ways to find foods. Thereby achieving a form of domestication that has over the million years produced us. They have developed the 'grey matter' in their brains to such an extent that they can show empathy with another in their tribe. They have been able to cross an imaginary line to join us on this pathway. This has needless-to-say has created in them less aggression and more domestication and loving behaviour. Kissing, grooming and caring for each other. All quite amazing.