Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution

Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution is an evolutionary science nonfiction book by scientist Cat Bohannon and was published by Knopf, Borzoi Books, a division of Penguin Random House, in 2023. The book explores the female contributions to human evolution and the female ancestors linked to the development of various human traits, including breasts and milk, uteri and pregnancy, perception, bipedalism, toolmaking, brain development, language and voice, menopause, and love and sexuality. It explores the themes of The Evolution and Historical Impact of the Female Body, The Intersection of Science and Gender, and Debunking Myths About Female Biology. Eve was listed on the New York Times Best Seller list in October 2023 and won the Foyles Non-Fiction Book of the Year award in December 2023. Bohannon is a researcher with a PhD in the evolution of narrative and cognition from Columbia University.

This study guide refers to the 2023 Knopf hardback edition.

Content Warning: The book contains references to and/or discussions about sexual violence, including coercion and rape in both animal species and human environments, infanticide in animal species, pregnancy loss, suicide and suicidal ideation, birth trauma, female genital mutilation, and child marriage.