The phylogenetic roots of human lethal violence
The psychological, sociological and evolutionary roots of conspecific violence in humans are still debated, despite attracting the attention of intellectuals for over two millennia. Here we propose a conceptual approach towards understanding these roots based on the assumption that aggression in mammals, including humans, has a significant phylogenetic component. By compiling sources of mortality from a comprehensive sample of mammals, we assessed the percentage of deaths due to conspecifics and, using phylogenetic comparative tools, predicted this value for humans. The proportion of human deaths phylogenetically predicted to be caused by interpersonal violence stood at 2%. This value was similar to the one phylogenetically inferred for the evolutionary ancestor of primates and apes, indicating that a certain level of lethal violence arises owing to our position within the phylogeny of mammals. It was also similar to the percentage seen in prehistoric bands and tribes, indicating that we were as lethally violent then as common mammalian evolutionary history would predict. However, the level of lethal violence has changed through human history and can be associated with changes in the socio-political organization of human populations. Our study provides a detailed phylogenetic and historical context against which to compare levels of lethal violence observed throughout our history.
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Nature Publishing Group
2016-10-13
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Subjects: | Biological anthropology, Phylogenetics, Social evolution, Cultural evolution, |
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/141175 |
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dig-cide-es-10261-1411752016-12-06T01:53:11Z The phylogenetic roots of human lethal violence Gómez Reyes, José M. Verdú, Miguel González-Megías, Adela Méndez, Marcos Biological anthropology Phylogenetics Social evolution Cultural evolution The psychological, sociological and evolutionary roots of conspecific violence in humans are still debated, despite attracting the attention of intellectuals for over two millennia. Here we propose a conceptual approach towards understanding these roots based on the assumption that aggression in mammals, including humans, has a significant phylogenetic component. By compiling sources of mortality from a comprehensive sample of mammals, we assessed the percentage of deaths due to conspecifics and, using phylogenetic comparative tools, predicted this value for humans. The proportion of human deaths phylogenetically predicted to be caused by interpersonal violence stood at 2%. This value was similar to the one phylogenetically inferred for the evolutionary ancestor of primates and apes, indicating that a certain level of lethal violence arises owing to our position within the phylogeny of mammals. It was also similar to the percentage seen in prehistoric bands and tribes, indicating that we were as lethally violent then as common mammalian evolutionary history would predict. However, the level of lethal violence has changed through human history and can be associated with changes in the socio-political organization of human populations. Our study provides a detailed phylogenetic and historical context against which to compare levels of lethal violence observed throughout our history. Peer Reviewed 2016-12-05T14:00:56Z 2016-12-05T14:00:56Z 2016-10-13 2016-12-05T14:00:56Z artículo http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 issn: 1476-4687 Nature 538: 233-237 (2016) http://hdl.handle.net/10261/141175 10.1038/nature19758 Postprint https://doi.org/10.1038/nature19758 Sí none Nature Publishing Group |
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Biological anthropology Phylogenetics Social evolution Cultural evolution Biological anthropology Phylogenetics Social evolution Cultural evolution |
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Biological anthropology Phylogenetics Social evolution Cultural evolution Biological anthropology Phylogenetics Social evolution Cultural evolution Gómez Reyes, José M. Verdú, Miguel González-Megías, Adela Méndez, Marcos The phylogenetic roots of human lethal violence |
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The psychological, sociological and evolutionary roots of conspecific violence in humans are still debated, despite attracting the attention of intellectuals for over two millennia. Here we propose a conceptual approach towards understanding these roots based on the assumption that aggression in mammals, including humans, has a significant phylogenetic component. By compiling sources of mortality from a comprehensive sample of mammals, we assessed the percentage of deaths due to conspecifics and, using phylogenetic comparative tools, predicted this value for humans. The proportion of human deaths phylogenetically predicted to be caused by interpersonal violence stood at 2%. This value was similar to the one phylogenetically inferred for the evolutionary ancestor of primates and apes, indicating that a certain level of lethal violence arises owing to our position within the phylogeny of mammals. It was also similar to the percentage seen in prehistoric bands and tribes, indicating that we were as lethally violent then as common mammalian evolutionary history would predict. However, the level of lethal violence has changed through human history and can be associated with changes in the socio-political organization of human populations. Our study provides a detailed phylogenetic and historical context against which to compare levels of lethal violence observed throughout our history. |
format |
artículo |
topic_facet |
Biological anthropology Phylogenetics Social evolution Cultural evolution |
author |
Gómez Reyes, José M. Verdú, Miguel González-Megías, Adela Méndez, Marcos |
author_facet |
Gómez Reyes, José M. Verdú, Miguel González-Megías, Adela Méndez, Marcos |
author_sort |
Gómez Reyes, José M. |
title |
The phylogenetic roots of human lethal violence |
title_short |
The phylogenetic roots of human lethal violence |
title_full |
The phylogenetic roots of human lethal violence |
title_fullStr |
The phylogenetic roots of human lethal violence |
title_full_unstemmed |
The phylogenetic roots of human lethal violence |
title_sort |
phylogenetic roots of human lethal violence |
publisher |
Nature Publishing Group |
publishDate |
2016-10-13 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/141175 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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1777665538771648512 |