Cultural and reproductive success and the causes of war: A Yanomamö perspective

Authors

Raymond B. Hames, Universit of Nebraska LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

Spring 4-2020

Citation

Cultural and reproductive success and the causes of war: A Yanomamö perspective. Evolution and Human Behavior, 41 (2020), pp 183–187.

DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.02.008

Comments

Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. Used by permission

Abstract

Inter-group competition including warfare is posited to be a key force in human evolution (Alexander, 1990; Choi & Bowles, 2007; Wrangham, 1999). Chagnon's research on the Yanomamö is seminal to understanding warfare in the types of societies characteristic of human evolutionary history. Chagnon's empirical analyses of the hypothesis that competition for status or cultural success is linked to reproduction (Irons, 1979) and warfare attracted considerable controversy. Potential causal factors include “blood revenge”, mate competition, resource shortages or inequality, and peace-making institutions (Boehm, 1984; Keeley's (1997); Meggitt, 1977; Wiessner and Pupu, 2012; Wrangham et al., 2006). Here we highlight Chagnon's contributions to the study of human warfare.