This book examines the concept of adaptation in four major fields in the human sciences. Genetic aspects are first considered through an examination of the human genes which have so far been identified as conferring survival value in particular environmental circumstances. The drift versus selection argument is also fully reviewed. The second contribution concerns the physiological changes which occur when individuals move from one environment to another. In the past, most attention has been given to the mechanisms of these changes, but here the focus is on the effects. The third contribution is directed at the analysis of behaviour - especially social behaviour. The application of kin selection and reciprocal attraction theories to humans is explored and the value of these approaches explained, whether the behaviour has a genetic basis or not. The final essay deals with the relevance of the adaptation concept to the social sciences and especially to social anthropology. It demonstrates that an ecological approach to understanding the nature and structure of human societies demands attention to adaptation.
Reprinted in paperback for the first time and with a new foreword, this book, which serves as an excellent teaching text, clearly shows how attempts at integration in each of these various fields can benefit the study of human evolution, social structure and organization from all perspectives.
List of contributors xvii
1. GENETIC ADAPTATION 1(54) Malcolm T. Smith Introduction 1(4) The detection of selection 5(1) Demographic measures 6(4) Predictions from trait biology 10(7) Empirical study of distributions 17(12) Malaria 29(6) Deviations from formal models 35(5) Miscellaneous features 40(3) Summary and conclusions 43(4) References 47(8)
2. PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION 55(18) G. Ainsworth Harrison Introduction 55(1) Climate 56(2) Infection 58(1) Nutrition 59(1) Stress 60(1) Adaptability and selection 61(3) Fitness 64(2) Fitness and variability 66(4) Conclusions 70(1) References 71(2)
3. BEHAVIOURAL ADAPTATION 73(26) Robin I. M. Dunbar Introduction 73(1) The problem of measuring adaptation 74(4) A peculiarly human problem 78(4) Is behaviour adaptive? 82(15) References 97(2)
4. CULTURAL ADAPTATION 99(52) Howard Morphy Introduction 99(1) Evolution, the environment, and culture 100(12) Adapting to the environment 112(30) Conclusion 142(2) Acknowledgements 144(1) Notes 145(1) References 146(5) INDEX 151
G. A. Harrison University of Oxford and Emeritus Fellow of Linacre College Howard Morphy Director of the Centre for Cross-Cultural Research,Australian National University
