Toward an evolutionary ecology of (in)equality

Abstract

Inequality is increasingly recognized as a major problem in contemporary society. The causes and consequences of inequality in wealth and power have long been central concerns in the social sciences, whereas comparable research in biology has focused on dominance and reproductive skew. This theme issue builds on these existing research traditions, exploring ways they might enrich each other, with evolutionary ecology as a possibly unifying framework. Contributors investigate ways in which inequality is resisted or avoided and developed or imposed in societies of past and contemporary humans, as well as a variety of social mammals. Particular attention is paid to systematic, socially driven inequality in wealth (defined broadly) and the effects this has on differential power, health, survival and reproduction. Analyses include field studies, simulations, archaeological and ethnographic case studies, and analytical models. The results reveal similarities and divergences between human and non-human patterns in wealth, power and social dynamics. We draw on these insights to present a unifying conceptual framework for analysing the evolutionary ecology of (in)equality, with the hope of both understanding the past and improving our collective future. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Evolutionary ecology of inequality’.

Conceptual and analytical approaches for modelling the developmental origins of inequality

“…The DC and PAR hypotheses appear in the literature of many academic fields [5,18,19,21,32,44]. Significant human and financial resources are being devoted to untangling their effects because of their important implications for public health and policy [59], and for our understanding of if and how variation in early environments explains inequality in adult outcomes [60]. Clear, careful definitions and appropriate statistical tests are absolutely essential for forward progress in this important research area.…”

Mechanisms of equality and inequality in mammalian societies

“…Specifically, we focus on systematic, socially driven inequality in wealth and the effects this has on differential power (social influence or control over conspecifics), well-being (health, stress, mortality, etc. ), reproduction and ultimately fitness [33]. We define wealth as attributes or possessions that contribute to well-being or fitness, including material (e.g.…”

“…Humans regularly challenge these sources of inequality through food sharing, peacekeeping, inequity aversion and forgiveness. Inequality also characterizes many animal societies from mole rats [16], hyaenas [17] and mongooses [18] to chimpanzees [19] across the tree of life [20][21][22], but the evolutionary forces shaping inequality across species have received far less attention.…”