From Guy Dauncey, Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada
Colin Barras compares the loss of wild traits in our species to that seen in domesticated animals (24 February, p 28) and discusses what led to domestication of humans.
A hypothesis that fits with some of the ideas suggested is that of primatologist Christopher Boehm in his book Hierarchy in the Forest: The evolution of egalitarian behavior, in which he explores the process by which our ancestors rejected despotic alpha-male behaviour characteristic of chimps and gorillas.
By successfully overthrowing the alpha males, and establishing a highly egalitarian ethos that has been observed in hunter-gatherer groups around the world, with strong sanctions against those who try to dominate, they would have deprived the alpha males of their breeding monopoly, and given everyone a chance to breed.
In this way, the more aggressive genes of the alpha males were displaced by tamer genes, and, as a result, we engineered our own domestication.
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