Hostname: page-component-6766d58669-h8lrw Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-15T09:59:16.051Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The convergent and divergent evolution of social-behavioral economics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2016

Bernard J. Crespi*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada. Crespi@sfu.ca http://www.sfu.ca/biology/faculty/crespi/

Abstract

Human hunter-gatherers share a suite of traits with social insects, which demonstrates convergent social evolution of these taxa prior to agriculture. Humans differ from social insects in that their divisions of labor are more competitive than cooperative. Resulting higher within-group competition in humans has been alleviated by religion and culturally imposed monogamy, both of which also find parallels among social insects.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable