Artistic expression, often involving symbolism, is one of the core characteristics of our species. Aurignacian human and animals figurines and the world oldest flutes from caves in Swabia (Conard 2009, Conard et al. 2009) exemplify the quest for beauty, for the extraordinary. It must have been a strong force shaping human behaviour.

Rather than culture specificity, which is stressed e.g. by cultural anthropology and branches of sociology, history and similar disciplines, universal human tendencies to perceive, feel, think and behave are postulated in our approach. Evolutionary scenarios, derived from a phylogenetic, palaeoanthropological and cross-cultural approach as well as adaptive functionality rather than a constructivist position form the base from which we try to understand the works of worldwide art, the motivation of their creators as well as the possible perceptions and reactions of their addressees, as individuals or groups. Also in this respect, the evolutionary way to examine human artistic expression widens the scope of its scientific analysis. In the classic tradition to study the different forms of art the focus is usually on the painter, the composer, architect or writer whose biography and style are analysed.

Several book publications, inspired by this novel approach, have appeared, among them "Homo Aestheticus" (1992) by Ellen Dissanayake, The "Mating Mind" (2000) by Geoffrey Miller, Literary Darwinism (2004) by Joseph Carroll, "Animal Poeta" (2004) by Karl Eibl; "An Anthropology of Art" (2006), edited by Howard Murphey und Morgan Perkins, "The Singing Neanderthals" (2006) by Steven Mithen, "The Art Instinct" by Dennis Dutton (2009). "Weltsprache Kunst" by Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt and Christa Sütterlin (2007) is a comprehensive comparative diachronic and crosscultural study of paintings and sculptures based on the evolutionary paradigm. In a previous publication "Im Banne der Angst" (1992) the same authors demonstrated the cross-cultural psychological functionality of apotropaic symbols - pieces of art believed to be effective in banning evil powers.

New approaches aiming at a better understanding of the various facets represented by the arts are characterised by taking into focus possible phylogenetic adaptations which have shaped the artistic capacities of our ancestors. This line of reasoning argues that it must have been advantageous for early Homo to be a good singer, a skilful dancer, a convincing story teller, a painter of breathtaking images, the mind behind such awe inspiring architectural undertakings as Stonehenge, the Acropolis and Borobudur, a carver of suggestive figurines or the maker and player of a musical instrument.