The study, authored by Luke Glowacki of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, found that, among members of the East African herding tribe, those who engaged in conflict - in the form of violent raids carried out on neighbouring groups - had more wives, and thus more opportunities to increase their reproductive success through having more children. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provided clear evidence that violence offers a benefit to warriors, the team say. The currency of evolution is reproductive success, Glowacki said. By having more wives you can have more children. What we found was that, over the course of their lives, those who took part in more raids had more children. Importantly, though, that benefit - the increased reproductive success enjoyed by raiders - is mediated by powerful cultural forces, Glowacki said. What I really like about this paper is the finding isnt just biology made me do it, he said. Its very clear what the pathway to greater reproductive success is - its access to livestock, which are obtained through raiding and then used for marriage. But the cultural mechanism is mediated by the elders who control virtually all aspects of the society
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 03:52:57 +0000
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