ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Patriarch hypothesis

Ok kiddo, so have you ever heard of the idea that there used to be really important men who were in charge of everything? They were called patriarchs.

The patriarch hypothesis is a theory that says these patriarchs were the ones responsible for making important decisions and leading their families and communities in early human history. Some people think that this way of organizing society was really important in helping humans survive and thrive.

But not everyone agrees with this theory. Some people think that there were other ways that early humans organized themselves and that the idea of patriarchy is just one possible way things could have been.

So basically, the patriarch hypothesis is just one idea about how humans used to live a long, long time ago. It's an interesting idea to think about, but it's also important to remember that there are other possibilities too.