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The architecture of human kin detection

Author

Listed:
  • Debra Lieberman

    (Center for Evolutionary Psychology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
    University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA)

  • John Tooby

    (Center for Evolutionary Psychology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA)

  • Leda Cosmides

    (Center for Evolutionary Psychology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA)

Abstract

Evolved mechanisms for assessing genetic relatedness have been found in many species, but their existence in humans has been a matter of controversy. Here we report three converging lines of evidence, drawn from siblings, that support the hypothesis that kin detection mechanisms exist in humans. These operate by computing, for each familiar individual, a unitary regulatory variable (the kinship index) that corresponds to a pairwise estimate of genetic relatedness between self and other. The cues that the system uses were identified by quantitatively matching individual exposure to potential cues of relatedness to variation in three outputs relevant to the system’s evolved functions: sibling altruism, aversion to personally engaging in sibling incest, and moral opposition to third party sibling incest. As predicted, the kin detection system uses two distinct, ancestrally valid cues to compute relatedness: the familiar other’s perinatal association with the individual’s biological mother, and duration of sibling coresidence.

Suggested Citation

  • Debra Lieberman & John Tooby & Leda Cosmides, 2007. "The architecture of human kin detection," Nature, Nature, vol. 445(7129), pages 727-731, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:445:y:2007:i:7129:d:10.1038_nature05510
    DOI: 10.1038/nature05510
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    Cited by:

    1. Adeline Loyau & Jérémie H Cornuau & Jean Clobert & Étienne Danchin, 2012. "Incestuous Sisters: Mate Preference for Brothers over Unrelated Males in Drosophila melanogaster," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(12), pages 1-6, December.
    2. Francesconi, Marco & Ghiglino, Christian & Perry, Motty, 2009. "On the Origin of the Family," IZA Discussion Papers 4637, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Linus Andersson, 2020. "Oh half-brother, where art thou? The boundaries of full- and half-sibling interaction," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(16), pages 431-460.
    4. DECLERCK, Carolyn H. & BOONE, Christophe & KIYONARI, Toko, 2008. "Oxytocin and cooperative behavior in social dilemmas: The moderating role of explicit incentives, social cues and individual differences," Working Papers 2008014, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    5. Matthijs van Veelen & Benjamin Allen & Moshe Hoffman & Burton Simon & Carl Veller, 2016. "Inclusive Fitness," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 16-055/I, Tinbergen Institute.
    6. Aslihan Akdeniz & Christopher Graser & Matthijs van Veelen, 2020. "Homo Moralis and regular altruists – preference evolution for when they disagree," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 20-062/I, Tinbergen Institute.
    7. Herring, David J., 2009. "Fathers and child maltreatment: A research agenda based on evolutionary theory and behavioral biology research," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(8), pages 935-945, August.
    8. Annie C Spokes & Elizabeth S Spelke, 2018. "At 4.5 but not 5.5 years, children favor kin when the stakes are moderately high," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(8), pages 1-11, August.

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