Infanticide : Comparative And Evolutionary Perspectives Paperback

Glenn Hausfater

Recent field studies of a variety of mammalian species reveal a surprisingly high frequency of infanticide - the killing of unweaned or otherwise maternally dependent offspring. Similarly, studies of birds, fish, amphibians, and invertebrates demonstrate egg and larval mortality in these species, a phenomenon directly analogous to infanticide in mammals. In this collection, Hausfater and Hrdy draw together work on animal and human infanticide and place these studies in a broad evolutionary and comparative perspective.Infanticide presents the theoretical background and taxonomic distribution of infanticide, infanticide in nonhuman primates, infanticide in rodents, and infanticide in humans. It examines closely sex allocation and sex ratio theory, surveys the phylogeny of mammalian interbirth intervals, and reviews data on sources of egg and larval mortality in a variety of invertebrate and lower vertebrate species. Dealing with infanticide in nonhuman primates, two chapters critically examine data on infanticide in langurs and its broader theoretical implications. By reviewing sources of infant mortality in populations of small mammals and new laboratory analyses of the causes and consequences of infanticide, this work explores such issues as the ontogeny of infanticide, proximate cues of infants and females which elicit infanticidal behavior in males, the genetical basis of infanticide, and the hormonal determinants.Hausfater and Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, through their selection of materials for this book, evaluate the frequency, causes, and function of infanticide. Historical, ethnographic, and recent data on infanticide are surveyed. "Infanticide" summarizes current research on the evolutionary origins and proximate causation of infanticide in animals and man. As such it will be indispensable reading for anthropologists and behavioral biologists as well as ecologists, psychologists, demographers, and epidemiologists.

9780202362212

English

Taylor And Francis Inc

07-07-2008

638

Glenn Hausfater

Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

Selected by Choice as one of the 1984 1985 -Outstanding Academic Books- -The book is eloquent testimony to the invigorating effect that Hrdy's 'classification of infanticide according to natural selectionist principles has had on the study of a phenomenon that previously had been primarily considered as the pathological consequences of overcrowding or other disturbing influences' it should convince even the most doubtful that, in most instances, infanticide is a natural behavior that can be interpreted in the context of modern evolutionary theory.- --Gail Michener in Science -The first systematic attempt to review what is known about infanticide and to place this knowledge in selectionist perspective... a stunning achievement.- --Don Symons in American Journal of Primatology -This volume... may become a classic in the field. It is a remarkable demonstration of how our concepts of behavior continue to be challenged in the context of modern evolutionary biology.- --David Gubernick in Contemporary Psychology -Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives focuses on an issue of central importance to the behavioral sciences and is packed with useful information. For those interested in the mechanisms and evolution of behavior and in possible links between human and nonhuman species, it cannot be recommended too strongly.- --Robert Seyfarth in American Journal of Physical Anthropology -Given the quality of the papers (and) the excellent editing... this volume is overall one of the best to come out of any publisher in a long time.- --M. Estelle Smith in The Annals of the American Academy