The Evolution of Social Behaviour

The Evolution of Social Behaviour
Author: Michael Taborsky
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 446
Release: 2021-08-26
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1108788637

How can the stunning diversity of social systems and behaviours seen in nature be explained? Drawing on social evolution theory, experimental evidence and studies conducted in the field, this book outlines the fundamental principles of social evolution underlying this phenomenal richness.To succeed in the competition for resources, organisms may either 'race' to be quicker than others, 'fight' for privileged access, or 'share' their efforts and gains. The authors show how the ecology and intrinsic attributes of organisms select for each of these strategies, and how a handful of straightforward concepts explain the evolution of successful decision rules in behavioural interactions, whether among members of the same or different species. With a broad focus ranging from microorganisms to humans, this is the first book to provide students and researchers with a comprehensive account of the evolution of sociality by natural selection.

Evolution of Human Behavior

Evolution of Human Behavior
Author: Agustin Fuentes
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2009
Genre: Behavior evolution
ISBN: 9780195333589

"Author Agustin Fuentes incorporates recent innovations in evolutionary theory with emerging perspectives from genomic approaches, the current fossil record, and ethnographic studies. He examines basic assumptions about why humans behave as they do, the facts of human evolution, patterns of evolutionary change in a global environmental-temporal context, and the interconnected roles of cooperation and conflict in human history. The net result is a text that moves toward a more holistic understanding of the patterns of human evolution and a more integrated perspective on the evolution of human behavior."--BOOK JACKET.

Tree of Origin

Tree of Origin
Author: Frans B. M. de Waal
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2009-07-01
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0674033027

How did we become the linguistic, cultured, and hugely successful apes that we are? Our closest relatives--the other mentally complex and socially skilled primates--offer tantalizing clues. In Tree of Origin nine of the world's top primate experts read these clues and compose the most extensive picture to date of what the behavior of monkeys and apes can tell us about our own evolution as a species. It has been nearly fifteen years since a single volume addressed the issue of human evolution from a primate perspective, and in that time we have witnessed explosive growth in research on the subject. Tree of Origin gives us the latest news about bonobos, the make love not war apes who behave so dramatically unlike chimpanzees. We learn about the tool traditions and social customs that set each ape community apart. We see how DNA analysis is revolutionizing our understanding of paternity, intergroup migration, and reproductive success. And we confront intriguing discoveries about primate hunting behavior, politics, cognition, diet, and the evolution of language and intelligence that challenge claims of human uniqueness in new and subtle ways. Tree of Origin provides the clearest glimpse yet of the apelike ancestor who left the forest and began the long journey toward modern humanity.

Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior

Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior
Author: Peter B. Gray
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 448
Release: 2013-04-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0674074394

Few things come more naturally to us than sex—or so it would seem. Yet to a chimpanzee, the sexual practices and customs we take for granted would appear odd indeed. He or she might wonder why we bother with inconveniences like clothes, why we prefer to make love on a bed, and why we fuss so needlessly over privacy. Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior invites us into the thought-experiment of imagining human sex from the vantage point of our primate cousins, in order to underscore the role of evolution in shaping all that happens, biologically and behaviorally, when romantic passions are aroused. Peter Gray and Justin Garcia provide an interdisciplinary synthesis that draws on the latest discoveries in evolutionary theory, genetics, neuroscience, comparative primate research, and cross-cultural sexuality studies. They are our guides through an exploration of the patterns and variations that exist in human sexuality, in chapters covering topics ranging from the evolution of sex differences and reproductive physiology to the origins of sexual play, monogamous unions, and the facts and fictions surrounding orgasm. Intended for generally curious readers of all stripes, this up-to-date, one-volume survey of the evolutionary science of human sexual behavior explains why sexuality has remained a core fascination of human beings throughout time and across cultures.

The Evolution of Canine Social Behavior

The Evolution of Canine Social Behavior
Author: Roger Abrantes
Publisher: Dogwise Publishing
Total Pages: 0
Release: 1997
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780966048414

This book discusses the evolution of social behavior in canidae, such as wolves and dogs. From the book: "Saying that a dog is a fear-biter, is equivalent to saying that the dog does not behave purposefully. By saying that the dog shows submissive-aggression we simultaneously answer the question of how to solve the problem. The dog is submissive, which means reacting to a threat by another, giving in, and surrendering. It only becomes aggressive because its behavior does not have the desired effect. The dog is then under threat and ready to react by flight or immobility. If flight is not possible, it may freeze. Some do and die. Others resort to their last defense, they attack, and then the drive of aggression takes over. This situation is easily avoided by accepting the dog's submission or allowing it to flee."

That Complex Whole

That Complex Whole
Author: Lee Cronk
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 180
Release: 2019-05-20
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 042996546X

Our understanding of the evolution of human behavior has grown enormously over the past few decades, and an increasing number of behavioral and social scientists are making use of evolutionary theory in their work to shed light on issues ranging from marriage and parenting to the study of mental illness. The success of this research program is thre

Human Evolution Beyond Biology and Culture

Human Evolution Beyond Biology and Culture
Author: Jeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 575
Release: 2018-10-18
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1108470971

A complete account of evolutionary thought in the social, environmental and policy sciences, creating bridges with biology.

New Evolutionary Social Science

New Evolutionary Social Science
Author: Heinz-Jurgen Niedenzu
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2015-11-17
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 131725547X

Social scientists have long declared their autonomy from the natural sciences, and in doing so have tended to neglect important biological constraints on human nature. Many sociological theories have suggested a nearly complete malleability of patterns of social life. The New Evolutionary Social Science challenges this view by building on Stephen K. Sanderson's 'Darwinian conflict theory' which sets out to synthesise sociological theories with key findings from biology into an overarching scientific paradigm. Configuring and expanding this groundbreaking theory, the contributors to this volume are well-known European and American experts in evolutionary science. The New Evolutionary Social Science develops a new basis for understanding social change and the world's future through a better integration of the natural and social sciences.