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The Evolutionary-Ecological Basis of Xenophilia
Cyril C Grueter1,2,3,4,5
1Institute of Human Sciences, School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. cyril.grueter@anthro.ox.ac.uk.
Human Nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.)
|May 4, 2026
Summary
Humans uniquely foster xenophilia through trade, exogamy, and defense, expanding cooperation beyond kin. Understanding these drivers is key to addressing global challenges.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Anthropology
- Social Psychology
- Comparative Biology
Background:
- Humans excel at forming positive intergroup relationships (xenophilia) via trade, exogamy, and shared defense.
- Research on the drivers of xenophilia is less developed than studies on intergroup conflict.
- Understanding xenophilia's roots is crucial for addressing global challenges like climate change and conflict.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify selective pressures favoring peaceful intergroup relations and cooperation.
- To examine how drivers of xenophilia interact and affect intergroup tolerance.
- To compare human xenophilia with intergroup peace strategies in non-human primates.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of ethnographic, archaeological, and psychological evidence.
- Comparative analysis of human and non-human primate intergroup strategies.
- Distinguishing mechanisms that generate cooperation from those that stabilize it.
Main Results:
- Xenophilia is supported by recurrent human cognitive and social capacities.
- Ecological, economic, and institutional contexts influence the stability of xenophilia.
- Humans uniquely scale and institutionalize intergroup peace, distinguishing cooperation generation from stabilization.
Conclusions:
- Human xenophilia is shaped by a complex interplay of cognitive, social, ecological, economic, and institutional factors.
- Understanding the evolutionary basis of tolerance and cooperation is vital for global problem-solving.
- Comparative perspectives highlight human uniqueness in institutionalizing intergroup peace.
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