Social pressures have selected for an extended juvenile period in primates

Joffe, Tracey H.

doi:10.1006/jhev.1997.0140

Cited by 211 publications

(162 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

148

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…An evolutionary increase in the complexity of male -male, male -female, and female -female relationships suggests a degree of social complexity in hominid evolution that is unique among extant primates. The covariation of social complexity, brain size, and the length of the developmental period in living primates is consistent with the position that the evolutionary increase in hominid brain size and the likely increases in social complexity are features of a coevolving suite of adaptations that included an increase in the length of the developmental period (Joffe, 1997; but see Ross & Jones, 1999). The flux and complexity of social relationships necessarily mean that only the skeletal structure of the supporting social competencies can be inherently prespecified.…”

Section: Figuresupporting

confidence: 69%

“…As a preview of our model, consider that an extended developmental period, a large brain, and complex social competencies tend to covary and vary with the complexity of the social ecology of primate species (Barton, 1996;Dunbar, 1993;Joffe, 1997). Complex social ecologies, in turn, are characterized by kin-based coalitions that compete and cooperate to facilitate access to and control of essential resources.…”

Section: Table 1 Unique and Unusual Human Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A complex social life and a large brain are also associated, at least across species of primates, with a long juvenile period (Joffe, 1997). Although there are several explanations for this relation (Charnov, 1993;Ross & Jones, 1999), it appears that one function of the developmental period is to learn about the complexities of social life, seek a niche in the wider social ecology, and test and refine the social strategies used to gain access to and some level of control of essential resources Geary, 1998;Mayr, 1974).…”

Section: Evolution and Social Ecologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It follows from the previously described evolutionary model that social competencies and social value covaried with survival and reproductive outcomes during hominid evolution. It also follows that the evolved mechanisms that enhanced the ontogenetic expression of these traits involved a lengthening of the develop-mental period and child-initiated play and social discourse that function to facilitate the acquisition of social competencies and enable the practice and refinement of social strategies related to resource competition (Geary & Bjorklund, 2000;Joffe, 1997). Of course many of these activities occur, and presumably evolved, within the context of peer groups (Harris, 1995).…”

Section: Table 4 Concepts and Definitions Of Social Competency And Somentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Evolution of Human Parental Behavior and the Human Family

Geary¹,

Flinn²

2001

Parenting

103

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SYNOPSISObjective. To develop an evolutionary model that integrates human parenting and family formation with ideas about the evolved functions of distinctive human characteristics, such as concealed ovulation and sophisticated sociocognitive competencies. Design. Theoretical and empirical research across scientific disciplines is reviewed. The emphasis is on ecological and social conditions that covary, across species, with parenting, family formation, and potentially coevolving characteristics, such as a long developmental period. Results. For humans, social competition through coalition formation emerges as the key selective pressure that readily explains the coevolution of a constellation of characteristics that covary with parenting and family formation, including a lengthy developmental period, reduced sexual dimorphism, concealed ovulation, menopause, complex kinship networks, large brains, and sophisticated sociocognitive competencies. Individual and cross-cultural variations in patterns of parenting dynamics and family formation are viewed as adaptive phenotypic responses to different ecological and historical conditions. Conclusions. Human parenting and family formation are features of a coevolving suite of distinctive human characteristics, the evolutionary function of which is to facilitate the formation of kin-based coalitions for competition with other coalitions for resource control. In this view, a central function of human parenting and the human family is to provide a context for the development of sociocompetitive competencies appropriate to the local ecology.

show abstract

Section: Figuresupporting

confidence: 69%

Section: Table 1 Unique and Unusual Human Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Evolution and Social Ecologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Table 4 Concepts and Definitions Of Social Competency And Somentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Evolution of Human Parental Behavior and the Human Family

Geary¹,

Flinn²

2001

Parenting

103

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For many species of primate, and especially for humans, these dynamics result primarily from the complexity of social living (Alexander, 1989;Geary, in press;Geary & Flinn, 2001). Primate species that occupy complex social niches have a longer developmental period and a larger neocortex than do their cousins who occupy less complex niches (Dunbar, 1993;Joffe, 1997;Kudo & Dunbar, 2001;Sawaguchi, 1997), although foraging demands are also related to size of the neocortex (Barton, 1996).…”

Section: Development and Plasticitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Brain and cognitive evolution: Forms of modularity and functions of mind.

Geary¹,

Huffman²

2002

Psychological Bulletin

207

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Genetic and neurobiological research is reviewed as related to controversy over the extent to which neocortical organization and associated cognitive functions are genetically constrained or emerge through patterns of developmental experience. An evolutionary framework that accommodates genetic constraint and experiential modification of brain organization and cognitive function is then proposed. The authors argue that 4 forms of modularity and 3 forms of neural and cognitive plasticity define the relation between genetic constraint and the influence of developmental experience. For humans, the result is the ontogenetic emergence of functional modules in the domains of folk psychology, folk biology, and folk physics. The authors present a taxonomy of these modules and review associated research relating to brain and cognitive plasticity in these domains.For several millennia, scholars have debated whether human traits largely result from our biological nature or are a reflection of nurture, specifically our developmental experiences. The debate continues to this day and has recently pervaded the cognitive neurosciences, at least with respect to theoretical models of brain and cognitive evolution (Elman et al

show abstract

Comparative analyses of the role of postnatal development on the expression of play fighting

Iwaniuk¹

2000

Dev. Psychobiol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Social pressures have selected for an extended juvenile period in primates

Cited by 211 publications

References 29 publications

Evolution of Human Parental Behavior and the Human Family

Evolution of Human Parental Behavior and the Human Family

Brain and cognitive evolution: Forms of modularity and functions of mind.

Comparative analyses of the role of postnatal development on the expression of play fighting

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About