Others agree that the Indonesian paintings support the African development of symbolic behavior. (sciencemag.org)
Experts refer to such decorations — along with sculpture, cave paintings and other art forms — as symbolic behaviors, which are a defining characteristic of the modern mind. (scientificamerican.com)
Says Hovers: Early humans engaged in symbolic behavior «when it was advantageous» and when «populations were stable enough over time to keep these canons and traditions alive.» (sciencemag.org)