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Published on: December 6, 2024

The evolution of human warfare.

George R Pitman1

  • 1Montgomery College, Rockville, MD.

Philosophy of the Social Sciences
|November 16, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human warfare evolved from a common ancestor with chimpanzees, driven by genetic traits like aggression and territoriality. Its motivations shifted with female migration and the agricultural revolution.

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Published on: January 18, 2013

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Anthropology
  • Behavioral Genetics
  • Sociobiology

Background:

  • Warfare is a complex human social phenomenon.
  • Several behavioral traits are implicated in warfare, including aggression, risk-taking, male bonding, ingroup altruism, outgroup xenophobia, dominance/subordination, and territoriality.
  • These traits are encoded in the human genome.

Observation:

  • Among the great apes, only chimpanzees and humans engage in warfare.
  • Warfare likely emerged in the immediate common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans.
  • This ancestor lived in patrilocal groups that fought one another for females.

Findings:

  • The origins of warfare are rooted in the genetic and behavioral traits of our common ancestor with chimpanzees.
  • The evolutionary pressures and reasons for warfare have changed over time.
  • Significant shifts in the drivers of warfare occurred with female group immigration and the advent of the agricultural revolution.

Implications:

  • Understanding the evolutionary basis of warfare can inform contemporary conflict resolution.
  • This theory provides a framework for studying the deep history of human social conflict.
  • Further research can explore the genetic underpinnings of warfare-related behaviors.