One of the amazing things I’ve learned from watching Oliver grow is how children are so adept at recognizing and embracing other children. It’s like there’s a secret society of children, and all children are members, and there are certain things — burbles, nuances, little pieces of body language — that can only be understood by members.
When Oliver and I are out in public, he can spot someone else under 5 years old from across a room, and will give a secret wave; often they’ll wave back.
While all of this is endearing, and interesting to watch, I wonder what evolutionary advantage this behaviour offers? Perhaps children bonded to other children in a world of strange self-involved warring adults have a better chance of survival?
Comments
Well, I think evolutionary biology types talk about the importance of play in making many kinds of mammals fit for the field. With the exception of one’s mum, I suppose one is a lot less likely to get squooshed playing with someone one’s own age, which would be a selective advantage, and so behaviors conducive to recruiting potential playmates might be expected to be advantageous too.
I am 
You can subscribe to an