He notes that out of some 2,700 human fossils dated from 2 million years ago to roughly 14,000 years ago, only about 2 percent show any evidence of lethal aggression. After that time, says Fuentes, we see a definite uptick in numbers of sites with clear evidence of aggression and homicide — in fact, it doubles.
Thus, the bimodal concept of aggression suggests that humans have evolved to combine a low propensity for reactive aggression with a high propensity for proactive aggression.
A predisposition for premeditated violence was in place in our Homo ancestors by at least 300,000 years ago, and perhaps as much as 2 million years ago. How much earlier it was present isn't marked by anything so concrete as domestication, which comes with a syndrome of behavioural and physical characteristics.
Humans exhibit a level of lethal aggression that fits this pattern in primates, the researchers determined, according to the findings, published today (Sept. 28) in the journal Nature.
Our transition from hunter–gatherers to farmers is thought to have reduced violent death fivefold; between the Middle Ages and the 20th century, Europe saw a 10- to 50-fold drop in murder; and in the 70-plus years since World War II warring among the leading powers has for the most part stopped, a first in the history ...
He notes that out of some 2,700 human fossils dated from 2 million years ago to roughly 14,000 years ago, only about 2 percent show any evidence of lethal aggression. After that time, says Fuentes, we see a definite uptick in numbers of sites with clear evidence of aggression and homicide — in fact, it doubles.
Some argue that humans are inherently aggressive, violent, and competitive, cooperating only for personal gain, while others believe that humans are inherently compassionate, peaceful, and loving, acting aggressively and violently only in unnatural circumstances or when they are afraid.
#1 Nile Crocodile
The Nile crocodile gets the number one spot because it is the only animal on the list to consider humans a regular part of its diet. It's just as likely to grab a human that strays too close to the water's edge as it would a wildebeest. Hundreds of people are killed by the Nile crocodile every year.
For example, violence creates tension and suspense, which may be what people find appealing. Another possibility is that it is action, not violence, which people enjoy. Watching violence also offers a great chance for making meaning about finding meaning in life.
These figures encapsulate the rates/absolute numbers argument: the rates of death in violent conflicts have clearly been decreasing and are at a historical low, but the actual number of deaths has increased over time. Although, it's worth pointing out the actual number has decreased since 1950.
While humans are genetically predisposed to engage in aggressive behaviors to survive, other forms of aggression are not “natural” human qualities. Psychologists maintain that violence is an acquired, learned behavior—a cultural phenomenon.
10,000 years ago, and episodes of warfare appear to remain "localized and temporarily restricted" during the Late Mesolithic to Early Neolithic period in Europe. Iberian cave art of the Mesolithic shows explicit scenes of battle between groups of archers.
Taken together, they show that about 50% of the variance in aggression is explained by genetic influences and the remaining 50% is explained by environmental factors not shared by family members [Tuvblad and Baker, 2011].
Humans engage in violence ranging from one-on-one confrontations to global conflicts. To say violence is part of our evolutionary process is an oversimplification. Not everyone exhibits violent behavior. If humans were naturally and chaotically violent, our species wouldn't have survived for millennia.
This means that after the human lineage diverged from the chimp line, around six million years ago, we progressively became more adapted at extracting energy from meat, and lost most of our ability to do so from plants. The same progression toward a carnivorous diet can be seen in the evolution of our teeth.
Human aggression is first seen in new newborns that have signs of anger and with children that have signs of anger a few months after birth. Human violence is developed right from birth and if the observation is not kept on the children they end up having aggressive behavior in adulthood.
For centuries, philosophers have attempted to answer the question of whether humans are naturally good or evil. Despite the publication of thousands of works on the subject, no satisfactory answer seems to have been found.
In fact, the researcher say, humans seem to crave violence just like they do sex, food or drugs. Scientists have known that mice and other animals are drawn to fights. Until now, they didn't know how the brain was involved.
Well, you would be wrong. But you might be surprised to know Homo sapiens actually falls at number 30 out of more than a thousand species on the list of animals that most often kill members of their own kind. Humans, it turns out, are just average members of a particularly violent lot, the primates.
A Hug a Day. Northern Muriqui Monkeys are the most peaceful primates in the world, living in uniquely egalitarian societies where relationships between males and females are free of conflict, and instead full of hugs.
Historians might quibble over the exact details, but by most accounts, there are no periods in history that have been free from war. Much of recorded history has also been filled with imperial or colonial occupations, where a powerful nation uses force to rule over other nations.
Human Self-Domesticators. Compared with other human species, it turns out we were the friendliest. What allowed us to thrive was a kind of cognitive superpower: a particular type of affability called cooperative communication. We are experts at working together with other people, even strangers.
They always make rational choices that maximise their benefits and minimise their costs. All human behaviour, according to this theory, can be explained by understanding how people try to maximise their utility — their self-interest. Human beings are essentially and fundamentally self-interested.