Female bonobos form a strong sisterhood. They rule through female solidarity.

Humanity is actually much more cooperative and empathic than [it's] given credit for.

Why not assume that our humanity, including the self-control needed for livable societies, is built into us? Does anyone truly believe that our ancestors lacked social norms before they had religion? Did they never assist others in need, or complain about an unfair deal? Humans must have worried about the functioning of their communities well before the current religions arose, which is only a few thousand years ago.

I'm personally a nonbeliever, so I'm struggling with if we really need religion.

The thinking is that we started evolving language not by speaking but by gesturing.

Unlike the primate hand, the elephant's grasping organ is also its nose. Elephants use their trunks not only to reach food but also to sniff and touch it. With their unparalleled sense of smell, the animals know exactly what they are going for. Vision is secondary.

We justify the inequalities by saying some people are just better and smarter than others and the strong should survive and the poor can die off.