I'm sorry, I don't have much to say as it's late and I'm tired. I have a question though. Is he the son of the other famous "Leakey's" that (I think) discovered the pre-historic footprints in Africa and the Australiopithecine skulls? I assume so as it would be quite coincedental if it wasn't the same family.
My thought's on one of your questions are: I think cooperation and sympathy are signs of
both evolutionary responses and intelligence. First the intelligence comes into play by recognizing that you need to rely on others for your survival (therefore, sympathy). As most being's begin to realize this, the evolutionary response naturally becomes "cooperation". You all understand that in order to survive, you have to depend on the others in a time of need and they understand the same thing. You scratch my back and I'll scratch your's. In the end it has led to what we now know as "community". Or I suppose the modern "human race"
Then again, which came first, the chicken or the egg?!
Ali