Sex equality can explain the unique social structure of hunter-gatherer bands

Authored by M Dyble, G D Salali, N Chaudhary, A Page, D Smith, J Thompson, L Vinicius, R Mace, A B Migliano

Date Published: 2015

DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa5139

Sponsors: Leverhulme Trust Max Planck Society

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: Other Narrative

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

The social organization of mobile hunter-gatherers has several derived features, including low within-camp relatedness and fluid meta-groups. Although these features have been proposed to have provided the selective context for the evolution of human hypercooperation and cumulative culture, how such a distinctive social system may have emerged remains unclear. We present an agent-based model suggesting that, even if all individuals in a community seek to live with as many kin as possible, within-camp relatedness is reduced if men and women have equal influence in selecting camp members. Our model closely approximates observed patterns of co-residence among Agta and Mbendjele BaYaka hunter-gatherers. Our results suggest that pair-bonding and increased sex egalitarianism in human evolutionary history may have had a transformative effect on human social organization.

Tags

Evolution Cooperation Residence Societies Foragers