Evolution of kinship structures driven by marriage tie and competition
Abstract
Cultural anthropology has revealed kinship structures with certain rules of marriage and descent as the basis of social relationships in indigenous societies. However, it remains unanswered how they have emerged or what determines different structures. Here, we build a simple model of family groups, in which exchange of brides and resultant cooperation and competition are considered, by applying an agent-based model and multilevel evolution. The incest taboo and several kinship structures, consistent with field studies, spontaneously emerge. Different structures appear, depending on the strengths of cooperation and conflict, which can explain the distribution of kinship structures in indigenous societies. The theoretical studies by simple constitutive models, as presented here, will unveil universal features and formulate a general theory in anthropology.
- Publication:
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- February 2020
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1917716117
- Bibcode:
- 2020PNAS..117.2378I