Three days after its birth a baby's crying will wake up its mother although she will sleep through the cries of another infant. And a baby's smile, and even the very shape of its face and head, are so appealingto adults that it usually guarantees a protective and caring response.
In The Immortal Genes,
Desmond Morris continues his personal view of the human species by examining the natural history of the human parentand child and looking at the reasons why we devote more time than any other species to raising our offspring.
He travels to St Petersburg to witness the Russian way of birth - babies are whisked away from their mothers within moments, and fathers are not allowed to be present at the birth nor to see their offspring until they are a week old when they are handed over in a ceremonial "discharge room". He also examines other parent/child rituals and ceremonies reflecting that there is little difference between a Dallas debutante ball and an Ashant coming-of-age ceremony.
His explanation is that our children give us genetic immortality and to ensure that our genes continue without mishap in their new
"containers", it is vital for us to become loving, caring parents.
But why do we not die off once that job is done? On average humans now live for 20 years after their breeding capabilities are over. Morris travels to the Mexican Festival of the Dead and to the depths of an Etruscan tomb to find out the answer.
Producer Martin Weitz
Series producer Mike Beynon