Eli5: Why are human babies born so ill prepared for the world, compared to some other mammals who are born much more well equipped?

Question

Eli5: Why are human babies born so ill prepared for the world, compared to some other mammals who are born much more well equipped?

In: 2

Answer 1

We evolved a compromise between a big brain and walking upright. So the baby needs to come out while it’s still small enough to go through the birth canal. Because of the trade off, human babies come out less developed and more reliant on other people.