My last few entries have relied on a specific idea that, given a group of non-kin cooperating individuals, the ability to cheaply coerce cheaters is unique to humans. This idea may be the strongest evidence we have for the evolution of human social and sexual behavior., according to this paper, by Dr. Paul M. Bingham.

When multiple remote killing animals kill or threaten simultaneously, they achieve an unexpectedly large decrease in the cost or risk of enforcing individual self-interest. This requirement for simultaneity means that this strategy is viable only when the common, congruent, and thus, cooperative self interests of large numbers of individuals are engaged.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 at 12:05 am and is filed under evolution, link out. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.