Critically appraise the contribution that the study of animal behaviour makes to the understanding of human
... The contribution of the study of animal behaviour to the study of human behaviour: the approach of this essay If we are aware of how an organism generates some kind of a behavior in a particular way, and we know something about its evolutionary relationship to other organisms, we automatically have a hypothesis about other organisms: namely, that they may generate that same kind of behavior in the same or a similar way. ... Furthermore, a first step towards the understanding of human behaviour is the study of our ancestors, or else the study of our evolution. ... Prehistory: Our relation with hominids, our ancestors Human beings are primates, members of the same order of animals as the monkeys and apes. Our closest animal relatives are the great apes, the chimpanzee, gorilla and orangutan. ... A starting point: Darwin’s theory of evolution The study of animal behavior begins with a consideration of the ultimate causes of evolutionary change, adaptation and natural selection. ... The scientific study of animal behavior is founded on his ideas concerning evolution by the process of natural selection. We could use Darwin and the theory of evolution by the process of natural selection as a starting point for modern ideas on animal behavior. ... Darwins approach implied that behaviour should be adaptive for the individual, as the genes which are selected are only passed from parent to offspring. ... According to this, altruistic behaviour wouldn’t have evolved given that, by definition, it is less adaptive than selfish or competitive behaviour. ... It predicts the mixture of altruistic and selfish behaviour that we actually observe in animal societies. ... This is the hypothesis that an animal will behave altruistically towards its kin, especially those closely related. ... Hamilton argued that an animal would share a greater than average proportion of genes with relatives too, especially close relatives such as siblings and cousins. ... Kin selection theory then predicts that helpful or altruistic behaviour may be directed towards relatives, provided that it is not too harmful to the animal giving the help, and provided that the other animal is closely enough related to make it worthwhile. ... Another way of explaining altruistic behaviour is through what is called reciprocal altruism (Trivers, 1971). Human groups are hierarchical and co-operative (D. ... For example, in a study of baboons, Packer (1977) found that pairs of unrelated males would help each other in challenging a dominant male. ... Wilson (1978), are less interested in instinctive mechanisms of behaviour; rather, they wonder whether human behaviour, like animal behaviour, seems to maximize the survival and reproductive success of individuals. ... For example, almost all human societies are either monogamous or polygynous. ... As another example, what seem to be characteristic sex differences in men and women, for example in abilities, in aggression and in attitudes to sexual behaviour, have been given a sociobiological explanation (Wilson, 1978; Symons, 1979; Buss and Schmitt, 1993). ... The scope of theorizing based on our evolutionary past; putting things in their place, the comparative method However, human behaviour is far more flexible than animals’ one, so is there any scope for theorizing based on our evolutionary past?