Complex Animal Societies, Domestication and Human Uniqueness

Abstract

[enter Abstract Body]This article proposes that features of human biology and behavior that are often considered unique are associated with the evolution of complex society, in humans. These features are analogous to physiological and behavioral differences found in other animals with complex societies (some species of ants, wasps and bees). The process of social evolution is itself a selective agent and produces parallel features in animal species across genera and distinguishes those with complex societies from closely related species within their own genera in ways that make them appear unique. This is especially seen in humans as we have become a species with complex society in a short period of time, only one species has survived and achieved complexity, and this complexity has had what seems to be a dramatic effect on the environment. It is apparent, however, that we are ignorant of how quickly other animal societies appeared and what their immediate effect was on the environment. Some features of complexity that seem "unique" may also be associated with domestication.

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