The Fascinating Evolution of Baby Carrying

Babies naturally want to be held and carried close to their caregivers

This instinct goes back to our earliest ancestors. While modern societies sometimes see carrying babies as a trend, it's deeply rooted in

our evolutionary history. From our primate ancestors to early humans, carrying babies has been a normal practice

In the animal world, parents take care of their young in diverse ways

One common method is nesting, where parents build nests to protect and hide their babies

while they go out to find food. Some animals carry their babies in their mouths for short distances, while others carry them

on their bodies. Carrying babies on the body has evolved multiple times among different animals, including mammals

Once carrying evolved, it became a common strategy because it provides important benefits

despite the energy it requires. Animals that carry their young tend to have smaller home ranges and face certain reproductive costs

However, the benefits outweigh these costs. Carrying babies requires certain physical and behavioral adaptations between parent

and infant. For example, the composition of the mother's milk changes to accommodate frequent feeding

It's believed that the ancestors of primates and tree shrews didn't carry their young

Carrying babies likely started evolving around 55 million years ago when the first primates appeared

Why did ancient primates start carrying their infants instead of nesting? One reason could be to avoid the challenges associated with nesting, like parasites and predators

Also, carrying allows for a closer bond between parent and offspring, which can be advantageous

for both. The switch from nesting to carrying among early primates was driven by the benefits

of closer parental care and the challenges of traditional nesting methods. Apes like gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees have different methods of carrying babies

The baby holds onto the mother's fur using its hands and feet

For the first few weeks of a newborn's life, they are carried on the front

Gibbons and orangutans, living in trees, carry their young on one side for safer tree movement

For chimpanzees and gorillas spending more time on the ground, babies are initially supported

by their mothers, later transitioning to clinging to the mother's back. This isn't an issue for chimpanzees due to their small babies with grasping toes

Early hominins like Orrin, Sahelanthropus, and Ardipithecus were bipedal with sloped back and likely carried their young on their backs after the initial front position

The Australopithecus lived around 2 to 4 million years ago and had small brains compared to

modern humans. These species likely represent the ancestors of Homo sapiens. Australopithecus afarensis juveniles showed features suggesting they could grasp with

their feet onto their mothers. As they grew, their feet became more adapted to bipedal walking, losing the ability to

grasp as much with their toes. Studies suggest that Australopithecus afarensis infants had a prolonged period of brain growth

making them dependent on their caregivers for a long time, much like humans

Australopithecus afarensis carried their babies on their front in the early weeks after birth

As the baby grew, they might have switched to carrying them on the side, or possibly

on their back. Carrying babies on the side or back, like seen in some Asian apes, had advantages

It allowed easy access for breastfeeding, and the baby could see what the parent was

doing, promoting social interaction. This method of carrying also supported the infant's ability to grasp onto the caregiver

while the parent was moving around. Changes in how babies were carried might be linked to the loss of body hair in our ancestors

Some suggest that as hominins became bipedal, they lost their body fur

This loss might have made it challenging for infants to cling to their parents' fur

leading to a need for more manual hands on support. The genius homo includes many species, but today only homo sapiens are around

Homo habilis, meaning handyman, is considered the first human-like toolmaker. They lived around 2.3 to 2.4 million years ago, and it's believed they might have carried

their young in a way like a forensis, with an initial front position and laterally as

the infant grasped more. Homo erectus emerged around 2 to 1.8 million years ago and migrated to Asia and Europe

They had decreased body hair and an increase in brain size. With the decrease in body hair and increased adipose tissue, it's suggested that infants

might have adapted how they clung to their caregivers. The growing fat content of female bodies, along with the loss of body fur, provided

better surfaces for infants to be positioned on the female hip. This likely influenced new ways of carrying infants

Babies are born with special automatic responses, like built-in tricks, which help them hold

on to their caregivers easily. These responses are called primitive reflexes. You've probably seen it when someone carries a baby, and the baby just naturally clings

to them without much effort. One reflex is called the tonic labyrinthine reflex

It helps the baby control their head and neck when they're not perfectly centered on someone's shoulder

So when the baby moves their head, their body curls in or straightens out

Then there's the plantar reflex, which makes the baby grab onto things with their hands and feet

This is super helpful when they're being carried, as it helps them stay stable by holding on

to the caregiver's skin or clothes. One reflex, the Moro reflex, is like a surprise response babies have

It might have evolved to help babies hold on to their parents when something sudden happens

The stepping reflex is another trick babies do when their feet touch something. It's like a little adjustment to help them cling better

When babies are carried on the hip, they naturally lift their legs, making it easier

for them to hold on to the caregiver. As they get bigger, they learn to support themselves better, but these reflexes still

help them cling to their caregivers. It's like nature's way of making sure babies stay safe and close to the people who take

care of them. Throughout history, people have cared for infants while doing daily tasks

Traditional carriers, like cloth and basket carriers, were likely used to help parents

be productive while still caring for their babies. Evidence from the Upper Paleolithic Age, about 15,000 to 11,000 years ago, suggests the earliest

use of baby carriers, likely made from natural materials such as plant fibers or animal hides

Some suggesting invention of the carrier happened around 2 million years ago with Homo erectus

The ability to carry infants effectively allowed Homo erectus to spread globally, aiding human migration

Infants carrying in slings may enhance brain development, shifting from prenatal to postnatal

growth and boosting intelligence. It supports neocortex development crucial for language and culture

Carrying influences fine motor skills and manual dexterity, with left side preference

connecting to the right hemisphere for social processing. Carrying benefits babies, promoting social and cognitive growth, and fostering emotional

bonds through skin-to-skin contact. This positively impacts future generations through epigenetics. Carrying isn't just a trend it's in our genes

Over 55 million years, parents, including humans, carried infants, aiding language development

and social bonds. Recognizing carrying as a biological norm passed down through evolution underscores

its importance in natural infant care