Carl Zimmer
Did evolution create a tradeoff between walking upright and childbirth? For my new column I wrote about a new debate about an old ideas. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/30/science/childbirth-evolution-obstetrical-dilemma.html
An Evolutionary Debate on the Risks of Childbirth

Scientists are revisiting an influential theory that the evolution of big brains made human childbirth risky.

The New York Times
Jul 30, 2023 at 6:34pmWeb
Show threadCarl ZimmerAug 2, 2023
The review I wrote about in this piece has now been published: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/evan.21997
Show threadSheril KirshenbaumJul 30, 2023
@Carl_Zimmer a bit related, I’m very much enjoying your textbook this summer!
Show threadCarl ZimmerJul 30, 2023
@Sheril Great to hear! Doug Emlen and I are just wrapping up the last chapter for the next edition. Got a chance to slip in the latest Homo naledi stuff before the deadline.
Show threadSheril KirshenbaumJul 30, 2023
@Carl_Zimmer It’s so well done. I’m taking an evolution course to get up to speed & flying through 3 chapters a week. Thoroughly enjoying it. The examples are excellent.
Show threadMark HoofnagleJul 30, 2023

@Carl_Zimmer So…child birth is safe now?

Hate to be a downer but her description of unsafe childbirth as pernicious is what is actually pernicious.

Childbirth is not, and has never been safe, and I’m a little astonished to hear an anthropologist of all things describe what historically has been the greatest cause of death of women of all time as safe.

Show threadJohn GordonJul 30, 2023
@Carl_Zimmer It kind of lost me when there was an unrebutted claimed that human delivery was not particularly dangerous. I used to deliver babies and it sure seemed risky for mother and child alike. I very much appreciated the C-sxn when it was needed.