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Two key steps in the evolution of human cooperation: the interdependence hypothesis

Tomasello, Michael; Melis, Alicia P.; Tennie, Claudio; Wyman, Emily; Herrmann, Esther

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Authors

Michael Tomasello

Alicia P. Melis

Claudio Tennie

Emily Wyman

Esther Herrmann



Abstract

Modern theories of the evolution of human cooperation focus mainly on altruism. In contrast, we propose that humans’ species-unique forms of cooperation—as well as their species-unique forms of cognition, communication, and social life—all derive from mutualistic collaboration (with social selection against cheaters). In a first step, humans became obligate collaborative foragers such that individuals were interdependent with one another and so had a direct interest in the well-being of their partners. In this context, they evolved new skills and motivations for collaboration not possessed by other great apes (joint intentionality), and they helped their potential partners (and avoided cheaters). In a second step, these new collaborative skills and motivations were scaled up to group life in general, as modern humans faced competition from other groups. As part of this new group-mindedness, they created cultural conventions, norms, and institutions (all characterized by collective intentionality), with knowledge of a specific set of these marking individuals as members of a particular cultural group. Human cognition and sociality thus became ever more collaborative and altruistic as human individuals became ever more interdependent.

Citation

Tomasello, M., Melis, A. P., Tennie, C., Wyman, E., & Herrmann, E. (2012). Two key steps in the evolution of human cooperation: the interdependence hypothesis. Current Anthropology, 53(6), https://doi.org/10.1086/668207

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Dec 1, 2012
Deposit Date Jan 25, 2016
Publicly Available Date Jan 25, 2016
Journal Current Anthropology
Print ISSN 0011-3204
Electronic ISSN 1537-5382
Publisher University of Chicago Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 53
Issue 6
DOI https://doi.org/10.1086/668207
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1006000
Publisher URL http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/citedby/10.1086/668207
Additional Information Copyright University of Chicago Press.

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