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A quantitative genetic approach to understanding aggressive behavior

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 August 2009

Bart Kempenaers
Affiliation:
Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, D-82305 Starnberg (Seewiesen), Germany. b.kempenaers@orn.mpg.dehttp://www.orn.mpg.de/kempenaers/abtkempenaers_en.htmlforstmeier@orn.mpg.dehttp://www.orn.mpg.de/mitarbeiter/forstm.html
Wolfgang Forstmeier
Affiliation:
Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, D-82305 Starnberg (Seewiesen), Germany. b.kempenaers@orn.mpg.dehttp://www.orn.mpg.de/kempenaers/abtkempenaers_en.htmlforstmeier@orn.mpg.dehttp://www.orn.mpg.de/mitarbeiter/forstm.html

Abstract

Quantitative genetic studies of human aggressive behavior only partly support the claim of social role theory that individual differences in aggressive behavior are learnt rather than innate. As to its heritable component, future studies on the genetic architecture of aggressive behavior across different contexts could shed more light on the evolutionary origins of male-female versus male-male aggression.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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