Faculty | April 27, 2012

Harvard sociobiologist E.O. Wilson on the origins of the arts

Sociobiologist E.O. Wilson on the evolution of culture

From The May-June 2012 Issue

The human urge to create art appears magnificently in the Paleolithic paintings from roughly 30,000 years ago at Chauvet Cave, in southern France. Here, the Panel of the Horses.

A bison, shown in twisted perspective; the doubling of the hindquarters and the extra legs may depict the animal running, or two bison side by side.

The Lion Panel, with bison (the lions’ likely prey), a young mammoth, and rhinoceros

Red bear

One rhinoceros from a group of 17

Dear Reader:

The text excerpted here was posted with permission of W.W. Norton, but that permission has since expired and the text has been taken down.

Read a Harvard Magazine profile of E.O. Wilson here.

Thank you for visiting.

Published in the May-June 2012 print issue under the headline “On the Origins of the Arts,” in the Features section.

Related topics

You might also like

Eating for the Holidays, the Planet, and Your Heart

“Sustainable eating,” and healthy recipes you can prepare for the holidays.

Michèle Duguay, lecturer in music at Harvard University

Five Questions with Michèle Duguay

A Harvard scholar of music theory on how streaming services have changed the experience of music

University Hall building with steps, shadows of trees, and a red brick structure in the background.

Harvard Faculty Discuss Tenure Denials

New data show a shift in when, in the process, rejections occur

Most popular

Students writing at desks on wheels, racing ahead of a stationary student at a fixed desk

Why Men Are Falling Behind in Education, Employment, and Health

Can new approaches to education address a growing gender gap?

Rohingya students arriving at the AUW campus entrance

The Taliban and Trauma

Alumni friends collaborate to help students at the Asian University for Women.

Grid of headshots featuring members of the Board of Overseers and Elected Directors.

HAA Announces Overseers and Directors Slate for 2026

Alumni will vote this spring for members of two key governing boards

Explore More From Current Issue

A silhouette of a person stands before glowing domes in a red, rocky landscape at sunset.

Getting to Mars (for Real)

Humans have been dreaming of living on the Red Planet for decades. Harvard researchers are on the case.

A busy hallway with diverse people carrying items, engaging in conversation and activities.

Harvard History

Yesterday’s News

A co-ed experiment that changed dorm life forever

A girl sits at a desk, flanked by colorful, stylized figures, evoking a whimsical, surreal atmosphere.

Undergraduate Column

The Trouble with Sidechat

No one feels responsible for what happens on Harvard’s anonymous social media app.