When did Homo Sapiens begin experiencing romance, infatuation etc.?

blatherskite

Did people only begin to experience these relatively luxurious emotions when life became less brutal and more comfortable ie. in the last few hundred years? I can't imagine people 20,000 years ago experiencing infatuation for some reason! Is it a purely cultural invention of the last few centuries?

Wibbs

Well various and numerous studies have found biochemical changes in people in first stage love, so I'd imagine that's unlikely to be a new thing. However it may require a stable environment and culture to kick off. In a frenzied, dog eat dog barely surviving mode it may not. That said other studies have shown women at least to be more responsive to males when scared. The "horror movie date" effect.

I'd say the culture may serve to exaggerate it from time to time as we've seen at various points of history, where eros is more celebrated than other times, but I'd imagine it's a reflection of the biochemistry and evolutionary pressure to strongly pair bond until any progeny is weaned and relatively independent. IN humans that's around the 3 - 5 year mark. Even in my time here on Boards as a PI mod back in the day I quickly noted that relationship issues tend to be within that time frame. Subsequently I've seen other research that seems to back up this high level "honeymoon period". Humans may have a loose reproductive cycle driven by love that fits into this framework and society, depending on the society plugs into that.

The other thread about hunter gatherer mate selection had me re reading some stuff on the subject. Among some studied, while the practice monogamy, they often practice serial monogamy until the reproductive fitness drops off and then "settle down" more permanently. Not unlike our own post sexual revolution society in many ways.