Scientists have questioned whether humans are naturally violent

For a long time, science believed that aggression was a single behavioural trait. That is, if a species is often aggressive, it is more likely to be prone to lethal violence as well.

However, a new study shows that this is not the case.

Details

Scientists studied five types of aggression in more than 100 primate species, ranging from everyday conflict to extreme forms such as killing rivals and infanticide.

The results were surprising:

• species that often exhibit routine aggression are not necessarily more likely to kill more often
• lethal violence is linked to other mechanisms
• different forms of aggression develop independently of each other

At the same time, there is a link between different forms of specifically lethal aggression - but there is little overlap with "normal" conflicts.

Why it matters

The research shows that aggression is not a single 'violent tendency', but a complex behaviour with different causes.

This means:

• conflict cannot be directly linked to violence
• the evolution of violence is more complex than thought
• everyday quarrels and deadly acts have different roots

As one of the authors noted,

"the evolution of aggression is much more complex than early models suggested."

For understanding humans, this is an important finding:

• aggression alone does not mean a propensity for violence
• social and cultural factors can play a key role
• human behaviour cannot be explained by biology alone

It is also important for:

• psychology
• anthropology
• conflict studies

Background

The debate about whether humans are "violent by nature" has been going on for decades. Some theories link violence to evolution, others to social conditions.

Source

A new study by scientists from the University of Lincoln has been published in the journal Evolution Letters and is based on a comparative analysis of primate behaviour.