Evolution of Human Behavior

Evolution of Human Behavior is the first text to synthesize and compare the major proposals for human behavioral evolution from an anthropological perspective. Ideal for courses in the evolution of human behavior, human evolutionary ecology, evolutionary psychology, and biological anthropology, this unique volume reviews a wide array of approaches-including human behavioral ecology, evolutionary psychology, memetics, and gene-culture co-evolution-on how and why humans evolved behaviorally. Its overview of current and emerging theoretical practices and perspectives offers a novel resource for both students and practitioners.

Author Agustin Fuentes incorporates recent innovations in evolutionary theory with emerging perspectives from genomic approaches, the current fossil record, and ethnographic studies. He examines basic assumptions about why humans behave as they do, the facts of human evolution, patterns of evolutionary change in a global environmental-temporal context, and the interconnected roles of cooperation and conflict in human history. The net result is a text that moves toward a more holistic understanding of the patterns of human evolution and a more integrated perspective on the evolution of human behavior.

Features

*Accessible, student-friendly writing style offers a concise survey of human behavioral evolution for anthropology and psychology undergraduates *Pedagogical aids-including summary charts and tables, suggested readings, and a glossary of key terms-enhance the text *Provides extensive tabular charts comparing the components of the major perspectives and proposals in human behavioral evolution to aid students’ understanding of the material *Illustrative and contemporary examples of research in the area of human behavior engage students