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7 - Aggression: towards an integration of gene, brain and behaviour

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
Robert Huber  and
Edward A. Kravitz
Edited by
Tamás Székely ,
Allen J. Moore  and
Jan Komdeur
Robert Huber
Affiliation:
Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA
Edward A. Kravitz
Affiliation:
Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Tamás Székely
Affiliation:
University of Bath
Allen J. Moore
Affiliation:
University of Exeter
Jan Komdeur
Affiliation:
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands
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Summary

Overview

Aggression ranks among the most misunderstood concepts in the behavioural sciences. Commonly viewed as an aberrant form of behaviour, situations of conflict are pictured in the context of unfavourable or stressful circumstances, brought about by amoral urges, in critical need of our cognitive control, and with negative consequences for all involved. Such a view fundamentally misunderstands the biological significance of all behaviours that occur in the context of attack, defence or threat. Deeply routed in the demands of the natural world, the ability to assert oneself represents a critical solution to any individual's need for self-preservation, defence of its interests or resource competition. Examples of aggression are found throughout the entire animal kingdom, regardless of its bearer's specific neural or cognitive faculties, phylogenetic origins or sociobiological circumstances. It has become abundantly clear that aggressive traits have been shaped by evolution like any other behavioural phenotypes, and a range of underlying mechanisms in the causation of aggression are now being unravelled.

This chapter aims to present a comprehensive overview of the issues that are encountered when trying to understand the hows and whys as individuals oppose each other. The chapter focuses special attention on delineating distinct behavioural phenomena such as aggressive tendencies, dominance or violence. Game-theoretical considerations offer a powerful theoretical framework to assess the evolutionary consequences of different behavioural strategies. A discussion of proximate mechanisms attempts to link these behavioural heterogeneities to the functioning of underlying neural and endocrine control systems.

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Type
Chapter
Information
Social Behaviour
Genes, Ecology and Evolution
 , pp. 165 - 180
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010

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