Our relationship with four-legged friends has brought many benefits. JDEN

Canine and able: how dogs made us human

“What role have dogs played in human evolution? Woof … now there’s a question.

“Anthropologist Pat Shipman, in a recent issue of American Scientist, suggests dogs gave our human ancestors an advantage over Neanderthals when they arrived in Europe.

“Dogs, she argues, made a real difference to the success of the hunt. They respond to human communication – even to the direction in which our eyes are turned. She also points out dog remains have been found – (controversially) – in sites in Belgium, the Czech Republic and as far east as the Altai Mountains in Siberia, going back as far as 33,000 years.” To continue reading this article from The Conversation, click here.

Happiness peaks between the ages of 65 and 70. Flickr/s_falkow

Age and happiness: debunking the myth of middle-aged blues

“People are at their happiest at retirement age and their most miserable in their geriatric years, according to a study we published recently in the Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organisation. Our findings effectively debunk the myth of middle-aged blues and show how happiness levels vary widely over a person’s lifespan.

“We all strive towards happiness to achieve a sense of fulfilment in our lives. But there is also an economic reason to advocate this goal. Happier people tend to be healthier than those who are unhappy; and mentally unhealthy people are costly.” To continue reading this article from The Conversation, click here.

American singer Jerry Lee Lewis famously married his cousin. flickr/dunechase

Why not marry your cousin? Millions do

“The topic of consanguineous marriage raises both interest and unease in Western societies. For those who are wondering, that big word means “marrying your cousin”.

“But why would anyone want to marry a cousin when there are so many other potential partners out there?

“In generational terms this mode of thought is actually quite recent, and until the middle of the 19th century first cousin marriage was common in most Western countries, in part due to the shortage of available unrelated spouses in many outlying areas. To continue reading this article from The Conversation, click here.