The origin of the human family
An English family from days gone by
Celebrating Christmas is often a family affair.
Nan and Granddad, Mum, Dad and the kids, perhaps Uncle Charlie dropping by.
It’s an ordinary scene. But perhaps it’s one that is too familiar, that we never question.
Because have you ever wondered where the human family actually came from?
New research into primate societies is helping to answer that very question; shedding light on the origins of the human family.
The work attempts to explain how the family unit evolved, and why humans have different family structures to our closest relatives, the other great apes.
Although human families seem terribly normal to us, the human family unit is, biological speaking, very novel.
I’m Matt Walker, editor of BBC Nature online. This blog is my take on the natural world, and how there’s more to Life than you may think. 
