according to the lucky archeologists, the figure still had its most important features intact: a "well-shaped behind" and a "short, but impressive" penis.

The incest taboo wasn't invented. It is an intuitive thing which is based on who we grow up with - we are simply not sexually attracted to those who were around us when we were growing up. This even extends to ppl growing up in communes where the kids are all raised together....they are frequently not sexually attracted to one another when they reach adolescence.

as for the concept of monogamy in marriage - yes, that *was* invented, almost certainly multiple times in lots of different socieites and it was probably invented as a practical measure to prevent fighting. Try if you will to visualise an "anything goes" society when ppl are constantly having sex with multiple parties in public view and how much more angry and jealous it would make ppl. There'd be constant fights! The basic survival needs of finding food and defending the tribe against wild animals etc would simply not be possible with all the squabbling going on.

There was another article I saw recently which posited the some would say heretical view that humans aren't the only animals with morality at all and that more and more ethological studies are showing that non-human primates have morality in rudimentary form. so asking who 'invented' morality is a non-question - no-one had to invent it coz the evolution of our brains meant it was just there. The key difference is that we can describe how we feel using language, which has aided the development of more complete moral codes , just as it has aided the devlopment of so many aspects of civilization.

The incest taboo wasn't invented.

It's not quite as simplistic as this. There is no universal incest taboo. All current societies have incest taboos of *some* kind, but their definitions of incest vary wildly.* Saying that someone must have invented incest is an extremely simplistic approach to the question "why is there such a variety in observed incest taboos throughout the world?"

* the example I was given in anthropology class at university: in England, it's illegal to have sex with your sibling, child, parent, blood aunt or blood uncle, but not anyone else (on incest grounds). In Scotland - at least, this is what we were taught - it's incest to have sex with your uncle-by-marriage, but not incest to have sex with your illigitimate son.

This is circular logic. In an "anything goes" society, why would anybody have cause to be angry or jealous?

I'm sure the development of exclusive sexual relationships has multiple causes, but the theory that monogamy is an extension of property-ownership has a lot of weight. Women always know who their children are - Men can never be completely certain - Once human beings have acquired surpluses of property which can be left to children, Men try to enforce a social system that ensures their own children will inherit. I'm simplifying wildly (from Engels amongst others) but this explanation makes intuitive sense.

Sorry, this is BS. There was an episode of Dream On where Martin wants to jump his cousin, and then his grandma tells him that she used to want to jump him.

This custom should be revived.

... how passionately their supporters defend them based on little evidence.

Like the 32 000 year-old phallic objects -- some think they're dildos, some think they're ritual deflowering tools. Wha? How are they arguing these theories?

I wonder how long the author had the word "erect" instead of "aroused" before he stopped giggling and knuckled under.

http://www.dissensus.com/image.php?u=107&dateline=1113577607