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Dear Rainer,
<div>Evolutionary <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Psychology is interested in the life and social habits of our hunter-gatherer ancestors in order to highlight mental states that were pertinent for them but do not fit with our</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> today
lives.</span></div>
<div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Do you feel that such model could </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">help in finding remedies to the mess where we live?</span></div>
<div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br>
</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr">Envoyé de mon iPhone</div>
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<blockquote type="cite">Le 21 févr. 2026 à 10:43, Rainer Feistel (IOW) <rainer.feistel@iow.de> a écrit :<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
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<blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">
<p>Roberts & Roberts (2019), doi: 10.1111/brv.12553, write:<br>
"Exploring the link between cognition, communication and sociality provides insights into how increasing flexibility in communication can facilitate the emergence of social systems characterised by bonded social relationships, such as those found in non-human
primates and humans." Causal models for the hominin evolution are necessary to reveal the causes of recent social, political, sexual etc problems of humans. Rather than lamenting, with providing such models scientists may assist in finding remedies, I believe.<br>
Rainer</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Am 20.02.2026 um 21:02 schrieb Pedro C. Marijuán:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:6f4d97cc-5000-4720-a2af-8929fcfb28f3@gmail.com">
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Dear Rainer & FIS Colleagues,</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">The impact of sexual selection on human evolution can hardly be overestimated. </div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">While the transformation of female body and the permanence of breasts, the other side was also experimenting concerted changes: </div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Aggressivity was diminishing (far less jaw, loss of protruding canines), less hair, less sexual dimorphism... self-domestication is a term often used.</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">More cooperation and larger social groups become possible. Language will multiply the effects and possibilities.</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">But in that larger social context, in order to maintain the strong bonds necessary for family survival, apart from more permanent sex, beauty and romantic love emerge. </div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">It prolongs predispositions already present in most species, not only the advanced ones. </div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">In the human case it is amazing how the "complex of love" will be handled around from the great arts to all kind of realms.</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">It is a "superglue" of our species, though other potent emotional solvents enter: jealousy, envy, humiliation, resentment, revenge... </div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">The mess where we live.</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Best --Pedro</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"> </div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">El 19/02/2026 a las 15:55, Rainer Feistel (IOW) escribió:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:d8a76edf-f22b-4ee3-a7bf-b709a5a03ec3@iow.de">
<p>Dear Christophe,<br>
<br>
My approach to pre-human evolution is a very narrow but general one, namely, the specifically human evolution of symbols. As any other organism, thermodynamically, humans are metastable, active systems far from equilibrium. Minor internal or external effects
may trigger macroscopic activities by releasing energy that had been accumulated internally.<br>
<br>
To those small triggers belong neuronal signals which, as a result of mental processes, seem to play a much more important role in humans than in any other species. Any activities, including sexual ones, are started or stopped by decisions which release an
associated trigger for, say, a well-structured cascade of muscle contractions or the like.<br>
<br>
Such decisions are the result of alternative prediction models for the expected future impact of the perticular decision. Many such prediction models are genetically inherited and result from phylogenetic experience of all successful ancestors, other such models
from the individual ontogenetic experience during the personal life, and finally, rather specific for humans, certain models result from cultural experience by symbolic communication with other humans by books, diaries, chats etc.<br>
<br>
Prediction models associate weights to the alternative potential activities. Comparison of those weights results in a decision. From introspection we know that inherited weights include pain, anxiety, happiness or pleasure, as "qualia", and this may apply similarly
to all higher animals.<br>
<br>
To survive on the ground, hominins developed intense social cooperation, controlled by symbolic mutual communication and advanced mental information processing. The progress of such capabilities dominated hominin evolution, including the later development of
science and technology with its sophisticated prediction models in the form of cooking recipes, mathematical theories or technical construction plans. <br>
<br>
For more details, please see "On the evolution of symbols and prediction models",
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://doi.org/10.1007/s12304-023-09528-9__;!!D9dNQwwGXtA!USuGcK_83Zb2a4NCzuRRLMHBQzSA_A8j4k4AuFOh3w1oHN_Bj9dthpFnbdDtZ77JBMeCTANAuQBo7XLV_qldiWgaiwY$" originalsrc="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://doi.org/10.1007/s12304-023-09528-9__;!!D9dNQwwGXtA!USuGcK_83Zb2a4NCzuRRLMHBQzSA_A8j4k4AuFOh3w1oHN_Bj9dthpFnbdDtZ77JBMeCTANAuQBo7XLV_qldiWgaiwY$" moz-do-not-send="true">
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12304-023-09528-9</a> <br>
<br>
Rainer</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Am 19.02.2026 um 12:53 schrieb Christophe Menant:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:BESP189MB32826010AFB370827D3A76328C6BA@BESP189MB3282.EURP189.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM">
<div style="margin: 0cm; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="elementToProof">
<span class="elementToProof">Dear Rainer,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="elementToProof">
<span class="elementToProof">Thanks for your support. Our evolutionary frameworks look indeed close.</span><br>
<span class="elementToProof">More precisely, how would you support the specific and important development of sexual pleasure by our pre-human ancestors to limit anxiety as a key part of our phylum evolution?</span><br>
<span class="elementToProof">Anxiety limitation with its various feedback (see drawing) is for me part of an evolutionary engine that brought us from LCAncestor to today humans. That engine is still active. I feel that the better we understand its nature, the
better we can address human possible future (ex: vs de-identification fueling some of our evil trends).</span><br>
<span class="elementToProof">A lot remains to be done, and it is interesting (and a bit surprising) to note that philosophy of mind has had so far little interest for our pre-human evolution. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="elementToProof">
<br>
</div>
<hr style="display:inline-block;width:98%" tabindex="-1">
<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>De :</b> Rainer Feistel (IOW)
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:rainer.feistel@iow.de" moz-do-not-send="true">
<rainer.feistel@iow.de></a><br>
<b>Envoyé :</b> mercredi 18 février 2026 18:24<br>
<b>À :</b> Christophe Menant <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:christophe.menant@hotmail.fr" moz-do-not-send="true">
<christophe.menant@hotmail.fr></a><br>
<b>Cc :</b> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:fis@listas.unizar.es" moz-do-not-send="true">
fis@listas.unizar.es</a> <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:fis@listas.unizar.es" moz-do-not-send="true">
<fis@listas.unizar.es></a>; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:pedroc.marijuan@gmail.com" moz-do-not-send="true">
pedroc.marijuan@gmail.com</a> <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:pedroc.marijuan@gmail.com" moz-do-not-send="true">
<pedroc.marijuan@gmail.com></a><br>
<b>Objet :</b> [Fis] Emergence of Human Sexual Behaviour. Anxiety management</font>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div>
<p>Dear Christophe,<br>
<br>
Thank you for your support and additional suggestions.<br>
It seems to me that your description is perfectly consistent with my scenario, and a possible fruitful extension.<br>
<br>
In my fictitious narrative, the transition to bipedal gait lowered the reproduction rate to a subcritical level.<br>
Only a series of severe transitions in sexual behaviour could keep hominins away from the brink of extinction.<br>
Among those have likely been the concealed oestrus of females and the resulting permanent sexual interest of males.<br>
The consecutive instabilities and innovations in this chain ended with the grandmother effect that ensured survival<br>
in a final stable sexual regime. This is actually the end of my narrative.<br>
<br>
This process had established frequent mating activities in excess of just a few required for siring offspring.<br>
As you say "it was possible for our ancestors to extend sexual pleasure by developing its occurrence independently of reproduction concerns".<br>
Sexual interaction, consequently, became a relevant part of the social life of hominins, to serve for emotional<br>
comfort, individual bindings, friendship and mutual assistance in feeding or personal hygiene, etc.<br>
Your list of sex-based relations and behaviours fits very well to this.<br>
<br>
Thank you for your contribution,<br>
Rainer<br>
<br>
<br>
Betreff: [Fis] Emergence of Human Sexual Behaviour. Anxiety management<br>
Datum: Wed, 18 Feb 2026 13:25:37 +0000<br>
Von: Christophe Menant <a class="x_moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:christophe.menant@hotmail.fr" moz-do-not-send="true">
<christophe.menant@hotmail.fr></a><br>
An: <a class="x_moz-txt-link-abbreviated moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:rainer.feistel@iow.de" moz-do-not-send="true">rainer.feistel@iow.de</a>
<a class="x_moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:rainer.feistel@iow.de" moz-do-not-send="true">
<rainer.feistel@iow.de></a><br>
Kopie (CC): <a class="x_moz-txt-link-abbreviated moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:fis@listas.unizar.es" moz-do-not-send="true">fis@listas.unizar.es</a>
<a class="x_moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:fis@listas.unizar.es" moz-do-not-send="true">
<fis@listas.unizar.es></a>, <a class="x_moz-txt-link-abbreviated moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:pedroc.marijuan@gmail.com" moz-do-not-send="true">
pedroc.marijuan@gmail.com</a> <a class="x_moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:pedroc.marijuan@gmail.com" moz-do-not-send="true">
<pedroc.marijuan@gmail.com></a><br>
<br>
<br>
Dear Rainer,<br>
Your focus on the transition to bipedal gait as supporting pre-human sexual evolution is original and interesting. It highlights a complex subject that may be influencing our human behavior much more than assumed. Regarding this last perspective, let me propose
a possible development of human sexuality based on sexual related pleasures that our pre-human ancestors may have been looking for in order to limit a specific pre-human anxiety.<br>
You may know the hypothesis about evolution of our ancestors toward self-consciousness bringing them to face new anxieties coming from identifications with suffering conspecifics (<a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://philpapers.org/archive/MENEOS-5.pdf__;!!D9dNQwwGXtA!USuGcK_83Zb2a4NCzuRRLMHBQzSA_A8j4k4AuFOh3w1oHN_Bj9dthpFnbdDtZ77JBMeCTANAuQBo7XLV_qldYeqEc8k$" originalsrc="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://philpapers.org/archive/MENEOS-5.pdf__;!!D9dNQwwGXtA!USuGcK_83Zb2a4NCzuRRLMHBQzSA_A8j4k4AuFOh3w1oHN_Bj9dthpFnbdDtZ77JBMeCTANAuQBo7XLV_qldYeqEc8k$" moz-do-not-send="true">https://philpapers.org/archive/MENEOS-5.pdf</a>).
To limit that mental suffering our ancestors may have been obliged to look for new anxiety limitation processes. Pleasure, as naturally limiting anxiety, could have been a candidate for various developments in that perspective. More precisely, it was possible
for our ancestors to extend sexual pleasure by developing its occurrence independently of reproduction concerns. Developing and amplifying sexual relations could have been an easy, and quite natural, way for our ancestors to limit the anxiety increase they
were facing.<br>
What is proposed here is that our ancestors have capitalized on sexual pleasures to develop sources of anxiety limitation. This could have led pre-human sexuality to become highly ritualized and very different from chimpanzee’s sexual behaviours.<br>
For instance, here are some human sexual specificities the implementation of which could illustrate the search for more pleasure by our pre-human ancestors:<br>
- No mating season, sexual pleasure possible at any time. Permanent breast as signal.<br>
- Sexual behaviors embedded in symbolic, emotional, and cultural systems. More emotional sharing by face mating.<br>
- Sexual pleasure layered with self-consciousness, fantasy, attachment, anxiety, and meaning.<br>
- Sexual pleasure more intense as psychologically deeper, more elaborated and more cognitively amplified.<br>
The above hypothesis brings sexuality and anxiety limitation to be at the forefront of human motivations. This subject is not new but deserves being developed a bit more, I feel.<br>
Thanks again Rainer for having introduced it.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</p>
<div class="x_moz-cite-prefix">Am 18.02.2026 um 14:25 schrieb Christophe Menant:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="margin:0cm; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<span class="x_elementToProof">Dear Rainer,</span><br>
<span class="x_elementToProof">Your focus on the transition to bipedal gait as supporting pre-human sexual evolution is original and interesting. It highlights a complex subject that may be influencing our human behavior much more than assumed. Regarding this
last perspective, let me propose a possible development of human sexuality based on sexual related pleasures that our pre-human ancestors may have been looking for in order to limit a specific pre-human anxiety.</span><br>
<span class="x_elementToProof">You may know the hypothesis about evolution of our ancestors toward self-consciousness bringing them to face new anxieties coming from identifications with suffering conspecifics (</span><span class="x_elementToProof" style="color:blue"><u><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2" originalsrc="https://philpapers.org/archive/MENEOS-5.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" title="Protégé par Outlook : https://philpapers.org/archive/MENEOS-5.pdf. Cliquez ou appuyez pour suivre le lien." class="x_x_OWAAutoLink x_moz-txt-link-freetext moz-txt-link-freetext" id="OWA4549a4e5-43fc-cf0f-9d30-7ad6665feba3" target="_blank" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://philpapers.org/archive/MENEOS-5.pdf__;!!D9dNQwwGXtA!USuGcK_83Zb2a4NCzuRRLMHBQzSA_A8j4k4AuFOh3w1oHN_Bj9dthpFnbdDtZ77JBMeCTANAuQBo7XLV_qldYeqEc8k$" style="color:blue; margin:0px" moz-do-not-send="true">https://philpapers.org/archive/MENEOS-5.pdf</a></u></span><span class="x_elementToProof">).
To limit that mental suffering our ancestors may have been obliged to look for new anxiety limitation processes. Pleasure, as naturally limiting anxiety, could have been a candidate for various developments in that perspective. More precisely, it was possible
for our ancestors to extend sexual pleasure by developing its occurrence independently of reproduction concerns. Developing and amplifying sexual relations could have been an easy, and quite natural, way for our ancestors to limit the anxiety increase they
were facing.</span></div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="margin:0cm; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<span class="x_elementToProof">What is proposed here is that our ancestors have capitalized on sexual pleasures to develop sources of anxiety limitation. This could have led pre-human sexuality to become highly ritualized and very different from chimpanzee’s
sexual behaviours.</span><br>
<span class="x_elementToProof">For instance, here are some human sexual specificities the implementation of which could illustrate the search for more pleasure by our pre-human ancestors:</span><br>
<span class="x_elementToProof">- No mating season, sexual pleasure possible at any time. Permanent breast as signal.</span><br>
<span class="x_elementToProof">- Sexual behaviors embedded in symbolic, emotional, and cultural systems. More emotional sharing by face mating.</span><br>
<span class="x_elementToProof">- Sexual pleasure layered with self-consciousness, fantasy, attachment, anxiety, and meaning.</span><br>
<span class="x_elementToProof">- Sexual pleasure more intense as psychologically deeper, more elaborated and more cognitively amplified.</span><br>
<span class="x_elementToProof">The above hypothesis brings sexuality and anxiety limitation to be at the forefront of human motivations. This subject is not new but deserves being developed a bit more, I feel.</span><br>
<span class="x_elementToProof">Thanks again Rainer for having introduced it.</span></div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="margin:0px; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
</blockquote>
<pre class="x_moz-signature" cols="72">--
Note: New Email Address: <a class="x_moz-txt-link-abbreviated moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:rainer.feistel@iow.de" moz-do-not-send="true">rainer.feistel@iow.de</a>
Dr. rer. nat. habil. Rainer Feistel
Physicist (emeritus)
PS Gustav Hertz Prize, Berlin 1981
CITAC Best Paper Award, Paris 2011
IAPWS Honorary Fellow, London 2013
BIPM Metrologia Highlight Articles, Paris 2016
EGU Fridtjof Nansen Medal, Vienna 2018
LS Daniel Ernst Jablonski Medal, Berlin 2021
IAPWS Gibbs Award, Boulder, Co., 2024</pre>
</div>
</blockquote>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Note: New Email Address: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:rainer.feistel@iow.de" moz-do-not-send="true">rainer.feistel@iow.de</a>
Dr. rer. nat. habil. Rainer Feistel
Physicist (emeritus)
PS Gustav Hertz Prize, Berlin 1981
CITAC Best Paper Award, Paris 2011
IAPWS Honorary Fellow, London 2013
BIPM Metrologia Highlight Articles, Paris 2016
EGU Fridtjof Nansen Medal, Vienna 2018
LS Daniel Ernst Jablonski Medal, Berlin 2021
IAPWS Gibbs Award, Boulder, Co., 2024</pre>
</blockquote>
<p><br>
</p>
</blockquote>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Note: New Email Address: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:rainer.feistel@iow.de">rainer.feistel@iow.de</a>
Dr. rer. nat. habil. Rainer Feistel
Physicist (emeritus)
PS Gustav Hertz Prize, Berlin 1981
CITAC Best Paper Award, Paris 2011
IAPWS Honorary Fellow, London 2013
BIPM Metrologia Highlight Articles, Paris 2016
EGU Fridtjof Nansen Medal, Vienna 2018
LS Daniel Ernst Jablonski Medal, Berlin 2021
IAPWS Gibbs Award, Boulder, Co., 2024</pre>
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