Evolution of Human Behavior is the first text to synthesize and compare the major proposals for human behavioral evolution from an anthropological perspective. Ideal for courses in the evolution of human behavior, human evolutionary ecology, evolutionary psychology, and biological anthropology, this unique volume reviews a wide array of approaches--including human behavioral ecology, evolutionary psychology, memetics, and gene-culture co-evolution--on how and why humans evolved behaviorally. Its overview of current and emerging theoretical practices and perspectives offers a novel resource for both students and practitioners. Author Agustin Fuentes incorporates recent innovations in evolutionary theory with emerging perspectives from genomic approaches, the current fossil record, and ethnographic studies. He examines basic assumptions about why humans behave as they do, the facts of human evolution, patterns of evolutionary change in a global environmental-temporal context, and the interconnected roles of cooperation and conflict in human history. The net result is a text that moves toward a more holistic understanding of the patterns of human evolution and a more integrated perspective on the evolution of human behavior. Features *Accessible, student-friendly writing style offers a concise survey of human behavioral evolution for anthropology and psychology undergraduates *Pedagogical aids--including summary charts and tables, suggested readings, and a glossary of key terms--enhance the text *Provides extensive tabular charts comparing the components of the major perspectives and proposals in human behavioral evolution to aid students' understanding of the material *Illustrative and contemporary examples of research in the area of human behavior engage students

About the Author
Agustin Fuentes is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of Core Concepts in Biological Anthropology (2006) and coauthor/editor of Health, Risk and Adversity (2008), Primates in Perspective (OUP, 2006), Primates Face to Face: The Conservation Implications of Human - Nonhuman Primate Interconnections (2002), and The Nonhuman Primates (1999).

Reviews
The approach is well thought out and Fuentes is one of the few scholars in our field who could pull it off. . . . I venture to say it might put a new face on our approach to this complex and contentious topic. * Michael Alan Park, Central Connecticut State University *
The thorough and careful discussion of the different approaches used in the study of human behavior . . . should be very useful for students. . . . The examples used are particularly good in illustrating how research in these areas is done. * Robin Bernstein, George Washington University *
The book's strength is its accessible yet rigorous intellectual synthesis of various approaches to the evolution of human behavior. A number of ideas floating in the literature, at conferences, and within scholars' heads are concisely and clearly represented in this book. Some of the theoretical directions that evolutionary approaches are likely to take can also be found here. . . . [The book] will marvelously serve the reader seeking a sophisticated, yet accessible overview of adaptive frameworks guiding our understanding of human behavior. * Peter B. Gray, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, from a review in Evolutionary Psychology, 2009. 7(1): 78-81 *
Fuentes succeeds in providing not only just a thorough review of the explanations for human behavioral evolution, both past and present, but also an informative commentary on the strengths and weaknesses of each and on the importance of understanding our evolutionary history. . . . Given the synthetic nature of the book, it covers a broad range of material, and instructors will find it to be a valuable resource. * Teresa Steele, University of California, Davis *



Book Information
ISBN 9780195333589
Author Agustin Fuentes
Format Paperback
Page Count 316
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 451g
Dimensions(mm) 155mm * 231mm * 20mm