Evolution of Sexual Intimidation: Male Baboons Beat Up Females, Increases Mating

http://www.newsweek.com/male-baboons-sexual-violence-control-evolution-human-behavior-632890

by shawndumas • 9 years ago

50 52 9 years ago

sethbannon• 9 years ago

I look forward to the day a majority of people realize that our biology is, to a large extent, something to be overcome. Our "natural" biological impulses are often incredibly destructive, for both ourselves (e.g. sugar cravings) and for those around us (e.g. the impulses in this article).

toomuchtodo• 9 years ago

I don't disagree with you, but it's profound to think our goal is to evolve to no longer be human.

Perhaps machine intelligence will be the better version of ourselves; we're just the bootstrap code.

aracari• 9 years ago

This is actually my theory of life -- humanity will eventually create a "perfect" version of ourselves, which with then exterminate us because we are inferior, and then the AI-human race will create a perfect society and branch off to explore the universe.

bitsandbeaches2• 9 years ago

but it's profound to think our goal is to evolve to no longer be human.

What makes us human? We know from experience that children are often cruel towards other animals, even other children,and get drunk on power too easily. So this kind of aggression is something innate, right?

But we have learned from experience that it's not good for us as a society, so we train them( at least in most cultures) to be kind and compassionate.

Now what is more human then- brutality or compassion? Of course compassion. It doesn't matter that this trait is not innate. What matters is that we have consciously chosen to cultivate and promote this trait. Call it "conscious" evolution, if you will. But it doesn't make us any less of a human. It makes us more human- the human that has collectively evolved using transfer of experience through language.

Aron4• 9 years ago

Most people spend a great deal of time fighting their impulses in order to behave in a proper socialized manner: go to work, be nice, clean up, call your mom, don't procrastinate, etc.

jacquesm3• 9 years ago

The really frustrating part is that people that do not behave in a 'proper' way often seem to get way ahead in life. No such thing as a just world.

stcredzero5• 9 years ago

Our "natural" biological impulses are often incredibly destructive

Tribalism is easily the most destructive of our impulses, especially in the way in which it can interact with ideology. Through ideology, such tribal impulses can camouflage their own effects and short circuit the "better angels of our nature" to excuse the dehumanization end even the slaughter of the out group.

I think that's the last great barrier to humans finally "waking up from history."

In particular, the way tribalism and in-group/out-group psychology interposes itself into political discussions is especially pernicious -- especially in the ways it manifests over the internet in social media. Fear isn't the mind killer. It's ideology combined with tribalism! If humankind ever destroys itself, in all likelihood, some group will have ideologically convinced itself that it should do so for some incredibly noble reasons.

zamalek• 9 years ago

some group will have ideologically convinced itself that it should do so for some incredibly noble reasons.

"Climate change is a natural process and we shouldn't interfere with it."

jrs95• 9 years ago

If humankind ever destroys itself, in all likelihood, some group will have ideologically convinced itself that it should do so for some incredibly noble reasons.

You mean like the people commenting here advocating replacing us with AI?

barrkel2• 9 years ago

Indeed. Nationalism, playing the man instead of the ball, blindness to hypocrisy because "the other side does it", whataboutery, and all round aversion to principles and reasoning. It long predates social media, but social media makes it worse, and the dilution of a basic consensus source of truth into fragmented tribe-truths - I don't know where it leads but it's not a good place. Soon, whatever deluded tribe gets their hands on the rudder will drive the ship of state until it hits the rocks of reality.

drewrv2• 9 years ago

I've been thinking of this as a sci-fi concept recently. On Star Trek all the other races have this singular defining trait, vulcans are logical, klingons are warriors, ferengi are greedy. The defining trait of humans is going against their natural impulses. We evolved from violent savage apes yet strive toward peace. Some choose veganism. Others choose celibacy.

Fricken• 9 years ago

Wasn't Captain Kirk the one always going with his gut instinct? The Vulcans were once an extremely emotional and violent race. Their logical traits are the result of generations of disciplined mastery over their natural impulses.

avaer2• 9 years ago

I prefer to think of it as: one person's destructive biological impulse is another person's effective business idea.

If you recognize it you can vaccinate yourself.

dahart• 9 years ago

That is a truly deep thought, I love it. I also think it's begging for clarity - it's right and wrong at the same time depending on what we're talking about.

Whether our "natural" impulses are destructive, they were evolutionary advantages when it comes to pure survival for long periods of history. Craving sugar was a good thing until the last century. The sexual impulses that lead to higher mating success are also evolutionary advantages despite their being destructive and socially unacceptable.

There are known parallels in humans to what this article is talking about. The book "Sperm Wars" mentions many of them https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperm_Wars The authors go to great lengths to denounce violent behavior, but nonetheless discuss the evolutionary advantages of some behaviors that we do not allow socially.

ams6110• 9 years ago

Look forward to the day? Religion (for whatever its faults) figured this out a long time ago. Man (by which I mean humans) is inherently sinful, though we are intelligent enough to recognize it and be responsible for it. It takes work, guidance, and discipline to live a righteous life.

lj3• 9 years ago

I look forward to the day a majority of people realize that our biology is, to a large extent, something to be overcome.

I look forward to the day a majority of people realize that our biology is something that cannot be overcome. You work with mother nature or you get crushed by her. Those are the only choices available to us.

antisthenes• 9 years ago

Even if you override the natural instincts, you have to replace them with some other form of behavior. There is no ideal set of behaviors, unless you strip all humanity from a species.

Once you overcome the 'hurdle' of 'undesirable' behaviors, you just adopt a new set of behaviors, which could be, in the long run, just as detrimental as the ones we have now.

I think Brave New World describes this quite well. The world where everyone is happy isn't necessarily the one that wouldn't be shocking to us in its behavioral patterns.

sawyer• 9 years ago

The article ends with: "It doesn’t mean it has an evolutionary basis."

If not evolution, then what? Doesn't all behavior have an evolutionary basis?

acchow• 9 years ago

No. There is a technical term for this - can someone help me out? I can't remember it....

jacquesm3• 9 years ago

Philanthropy?

Selflessness?

Sacrifice?

artgon• 9 years ago

Yes. They're called non-adaptive traits or spandrels: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spandrel_(biology)

Mikeb85• 9 years ago

Makes sense. Evolution favours the strong and works to ensure survival, not happiness.

esaym• 9 years ago

Don't really see anything new here. Grew up on a farm. Cats beat the crap out of each other in mating season. Horses as well. The stud will typically bite the crap out of her or run her through a fence repeatedly

Evolution of Sexual Intimidation: Male Baboons Beat Up Females, Increases Mating

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