Why do babies cry? Wouldn’t this be an adaptive nightmare for early humans who had to deal with predators?
Babies are cared for in the group. A group of humans is going to be loud anyway, so having a baby cry doesn't particularly add to that loudness. And very few predators would attack a group of armed humans.
The Short Answer
Babies are cared for in the group. A group of humans is going to be loud anyway, so having a baby cry doesn't particularly add to that loudness. And very few predators would attack a group of armed humans. The crying is a good signal however that this baby needs to be attended to (and is in fact ridiculously annoying to people so we can't ignore it) and it is also a good way to help find a child should they ever get lost. Might it draw predators near in that situation? Yes, definitely. But a child without a group is pretty much dead for anyway. Better to run the small risk of being caught be a predator with the chance that someone might find you VS staying quiet, lowering the risk of predators catching you, and then starving to death.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Group, predators, humans
This explanation focuses on group, predators, humans and spans 141 words across 8 sentences. At 104% above the average Human Body explanation (69 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “Babies are cared for in the group.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 8 connected points.
How This Compares in Human Body
Ranked #36 of 500 Human Body questions by answer depth (top 8%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why babies cry? wouldn't this be an adaptive nightmare for early humans who had to deal with predators?
Babies are cared for in the group. A group of humans is going to be loud anyway, so having a baby cry doesn't particularly add to that loudness. And very few predators would attack a group of armed humans. The crying is a good signal however that…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Human Body questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 141 words, ranked #36 of 500 Human Body questions by depth. The key concepts covered are group, predators, humans.
What approach does this answer take to explain babies cry? wouldn't this be an adaptive nightmare for early?
The explanation uses contrasting perspectives across 141 words. It is categorized under Human Body and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.