Evolution of Religious Beliefs

Religious beliefs appeared quite late in evolutionary history. Why so recently? What benefits did they confer? We have ways of inferring their origins.  Gordon Orians, an evolutionary biologist and student of human evolution, offers evidence that parental care, adoption of the intentional stance, shamanism, and cooking offer clues into the evolution of this uniquely human trait. Orians is Professor Emeritus of Biology, University of Washington. He has served as its Director of Environmental Studies. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1989 and to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1990.