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Molecular Evolution of the Tre Recombinase

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Published on: May 29, 2008

The evolution of human cooperation.

Coren L Apicella¹, Joan B Silk²

¹Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Current Biology : CB

|June 5, 2019

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cooperation puzzled Darwin, but kin selection and reciprocal altruism explain its evolution. Culturally-evolved norms in humans provide novel assortment, enabling complex cooperation beyond animal behavior.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Behavioral ecology
Social sciences

Background:

Darwin's theory of natural selection initially struggled to explain cooperative behaviors.
Cooperation, where individuals incur costs to benefit others, appears counterintuitive to individual fitness maximization.
William D. Hamilton's work on kin selection and reciprocal altruism provided foundational explanations for cooperation.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the evolutionary origins and unique characteristics of human cooperation.
To discuss the mechanisms that shaped the evolution of human cooperation.
To highlight the role of culturally-evolved norms in sustaining human cooperation.

Main Methods:

Review of evolutionary theory regarding cooperation.
Analysis of assortment mechanisms (kinship, group selection, partner behavior).
Examination of derived features of human cooperation and cultural influences.

Main Results:

Cooperation can evolve through assortment, where benefits are directed towards other cooperators.
Kin selection and reciprocal altruism are key drivers of cooperation in many animal species.
Human cooperation exhibits greater scope, scale, and variability than in other animals.

Conclusions:

Culturally-evolved norms act as an evolutionarily novel mechanism for assortment in humans.
These norms are crucial for sustaining the complex and derived properties of human cooperation.
Understanding cultural norms is key to understanding the evolution of human cooperation.