title: The evolution of human warfare.
abstract: Here we propose a new theory for the origins and evolution of human warfare as a complex social phenomenon involving several behavioral traits, including aggression, risk taking, male bonding, ingroup altruism, outgroup xenophobia, dominance and subordination, and territoriality, all of which are encoded in the human genome. Among the family of great apes only chimpanzees and humans engage in war; consequently, warfare emerged in their immediate common ancestor that lived in patrilocal groups who fought one another for females. The reasons for warfare changed when the common ancestor females began to immigrate into the groups of their choice, and again, during the agricultural revolution.
authors.affiliation: Montgomery College, Rockville, MD.
authors.forename: George R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Pitman
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D000533:Altruism; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural / Q000193:education / Q000266:history; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D040821:Human Characteristics; D007398:Interpersonal Relations / Q000266:history; D011287:Prejudice; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history; D011049:Social Control Policies / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012930:Social Dominance / Q000266:history; D014754:Violence / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D014857:Warfare