title: Human cooperation shows the distinctive signatures of adaptations to small-scale social life.
abstract: The properties of individual carbon atoms allow them to chain into complex molecules of immense length. They are not limited to structures involving only a few atoms. The design features of our evolved neural adaptations appear similarly extensible. Individuals with forager brains can link themselves together into unprecedentedly large cooperative structures without the need for large group-beneficial modifications to evolved human design. Roles need only be intelligible to our social program logic, and judged better than alternatives.
authors: Center for Evolutionary Psychology, and Department of Anthropology,University of California,Santa Barbara,Santa Barbara,CA 93106.tooby@anth.ucsb.eduwww.cep.ucsb.edu.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Tooby
authors: Center for Evolutionary Psychology, and Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences,University of California,Santa Barbara,Santa Barbara,CA 93106.cosmides@psych.ucsb.edu.
authors: Leda
authors: L
authors: Cosmides
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D001921:Brain; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations