Social Behavior: (3 Perspectives in Ethology)

Sociobiology is the play of the season. Its success is mellsured by its immense popularity and perhaps by the controversy it has generated as well. Unfortunately, neither its popularity nor the resulting controversy seems likely to assure progress toward understanding sociobiological issues. The play has too many actors and, it seems, the casting has been poor; the players are unable to maintain their roles. At center stage, of course, is E. O. Wilson and his monumental opus Sociobiology. 1 In the wings, and making periodic entrances, are an assort- ment of brilliant, committed, and aggressive adversaries. On cue, one of them steps out and decries the self-fulfilling nature of sociobiological prophesies. The arguments of the adversaries are varied. They warn that if all nonhuman primate societies tolerate aggression and man is also a pri- mate, then aggression may come to be considered "normal" and therefore acceptable. Their dire warnings may also have real impact on policy, alter- ing, for example, a research program intended to examine longitudinally the relation between a supernumerary chromosome and certain behavioral disorders. The rationale is that since the afflicted infants would have to be identified and the study obviously does assume that psychopathology is linked to the chromosome aberration, the attitudes of the child's parents could well contribute to abnormal behavior that might otherwise not appear.

Table of Contents:
1 The Genetics of Social Behavior.- I. Introduction.- II. The Genetic Roulette Wheel.- III. The Tender Trap of Adaptation.- IV. The Problem of Homogeneity.- V. Nonrandom Sampling of Restricted Gene Pools.- VI. The Evolutionary Advantages of Social Behavior.- VII. Acknowledgments.- VIII. References.- 2 The Ecological Significance of Behavioral Dominance.- I. Introduction.- II. Historical Considerations.- III. Behavioral Dominance as a Natural Regulatory System.- IV. The Dominance-Dispersal Model.- V. Supportive Data and Discussion.- VI. Summary.- VII. Acknowledgments.- VIII. References.- 3 How Does Behavior Develop?.- I. Abstract.- II. Introduction.- III. Discontinuities in Development.- IV. Explanations for Discontinuities.- V. Conclusion.- VI. Acknowledgments.- VII. References.- 4 Continuity and Stage in Human Development.- I. The Meanings of Continuity.- II. Continuity in Stage Theory.- III. The Historical Bases for Faith in Continuity.- IV. Evidence for Continuity in Human Development.- V. Acknowledgments.- VI. References.- 5 Feeding Behavior of Lemur Catta in Different Habitats.- I. Introduction.- II. Description of the Habitat.- III. Lemur Behavior.- IV. Discussion.- V. Acknowledgments.- VI. References.- 6 Status and Hierarchy in Nonhuman Primate Societies.- I. Definitions.- II. A Straw-Man Theory.- III. Triadic Processes—One Alternative.- IV. Is Dominance Natural?.- V. Dominance or Subordinance?.- VI. Stress, Status, and Learning.- VII. Questions of Function.- VIII. Hierarchy Formation and Mathematics.- IX. Summary.- X. Acknowledgments.- XI. References.- 7 Hidden Regulatory Processes in Early Social Relationships.- I. Abstract.- II. Introduction.- III. Olfactory Processes Regulating the Mother-Infant Interaction.- IV. Regulation of the Infants’ AutonomicFunction by the Mothers’ Milk.- V. Infant Behavioral Arousal.- VI. Regulation of Rhythmic Functions of the Infant.- VII. Implications for Infant Development.- VIII. References.- 8 Social Behavior on Islands.- I. Introduction.- II. Behaving in the Caribbean.- III. Island Influences on Biota.- IV. Behavioral Traits of Colonizers.- V. The Effect of Wide Niches on Behavior.- VI. Aggression on Islands.- VII. The Behavioral Effects of Increased Numbers on Islands.- VIII. The Relative Social Effects of Competition and Predation on Islands.- IX. Multiple Invasions, Populations, and Niche Size.- X. Shallow Island Niches.- XI. Behavioral Correlates of Niche Broadening.- XII. Summary.- XIII. References.- 9 On Predation, Competition, and the Advantages of Group Living.- I. Abstract.- II. Introduction.- III. The Major Selective Forces.- IV. Predation and Resource Competition: Influences of Environment, Individuals, and Species.- V. Predation and Resource Competition: Their Combined Action.- VI. Discussion and Conclusions.- VII. Acknowledgments.- VIII. Appendix—Glossary of Terms.- IX. References.- 10 Is History a Consequence of Evolution?.- I. Abstract.- II. Introduction.- III. Causality in Evolution and History.- IV. Evolution Considered as an Existential Game.- V. The Peculiar Evolutionary Strategy of Man.- VI. Residual Evolutionary Problems.- VII. Acknowledgments.- VIII. References.