Sociobiology: what is it and what research topics does it propose?

What is sociobiology and what is its approach to the study of animal interaction?

It is widely accepted that humans and other animal species behave in a certain way, instinctively.

It is true that life-long learning and experiences influence how one acts, but the biological basis is there and regulates certain behaviors.

Sociobiology has been an approach that has tried to explain the genetic basis of social behavior, comparing that of human beings with that of humans.l, comparing that of human beings with that of other related animals.

Although this approach has offered some logical explanations for behaviors such as altruism, aggression and mating, it has not been without controversy, such as the claim that genes are everything.

Let's take a closer look at what sociobiology is, mentioning some of the most important figures of this approach and detailing some of its most outstanding scientific theories on social behavior.

What is sociobiology?

Sociobiology is the approach that studies the biological bases of the behavior of gregarious animal species, i.e., those in which the social behavior of animalsthat is, those in which their individuals live in communities of several individuals. Sociobiology is a branch of sociology and biology, and combines knowledge from several sciences, such as neurobiology, ethology, ecology and genetics. Among the aspects it studies are: aggression, altruism, social hierarchy and mating.

Sociobiologists assert that animal behavior patterns are generated, modified, maintained and extinguished. through the mechanisms of natural selection. They also affirm that animal behaviors, and therefore also that of humans, cannot be explained by resorting solely to culture and environment.

The experimental knowledge acquired by sociobiology is based on behaviors observed in gregarious species. Each animal species can be seen as a kind of experiment, in which the interaction between genes and environment has allowed certain behaviors to flourish.

According to the assumptions of natural selection, put forward by Charles Darwin, certain animal behaviors contribute to the development of certain behaviors, certain animal behaviors contribute to a greater likelihood of survival and reproduction. and succeed in reproducing. Sociobiology maintains that these same behaviors can be found in the human species, an assertion that has generated some controversy.

Historical background.

Edward Osborne Wilson is considered the father of sociobiology, however, this does not mean that there has been no interest for a long time in finding the biological basis of behavior. Already Charles Darwin, in the 19th century, tried to explain certain behaviors that apparently seem dangerous for individual survival but are quite widespread, not only in the human species, but also in many other animals.

One of the behaviors that has caused the most headaches for evolutionism has been altruism, i.e., the capacity of a human being to be a good altruist.That is to say, the capacity of an individual to favor another being with his actions, even when his life may be endangered. What evolutionary benefit can it be to help another being if one may perish in the attempt?

Over time, several researchers have been able to offer an explanation for this behavior. Even at the risk of losing the ability to reproduce and thus pass on the genes of an individual to the next generation, helping a being whose genome is similar to one's own allows, to some extent, its genes to survive, helping a being whose genome is similar to one's own allows, to a certain extent, the same genes to survive..

Based on this, the possibility has been raised that manifesting altruistic behavior is directly proportional to the degree of inbreeding that the organisms involved in this action have.

Subsequently, British evolutionary biologist William Donald Hamilton put forward the concept of class selection in 1960. in 1960. By means of a mathematical demonstration, he defended the idea that individuals of a species can improve their chances of reproductive success by helping their close relatives. The condition for this to be productive is that the one who is helped receives a benefit greater than the cost invested by the helper.

An example that would demonstrate Hamilton's point would be the behavior of worker bees. Worker bees sacrifice more than drones for the common good of the hive. Drones are the product of sexual reproduction, while worker bees are practically clones of each other. On the basis that workers have a high degree of inbreeding, they seem to be more willing to die since there are hundreds of bees that have the same genomic endowment as them.

Although these explanations make sense, the truth is that in nature there are many situations in which altruism occurs without the need for Blood ties.

This is where Robert Ludlow Trivers explains reciprocal altruism. This occurs when one individual receives help from another, with the implicit understanding that in the future he or she must return the help. To ensure that their energy is not misused, individuals must distinguish between those peers who are willing to return the favor and those who are not. This sociobiological concept is considered valid when explaining the behavior of species with small social groups, as well as primates and humans.

Sociobiology applied to the human species

Trying to explain animal behavior on the basis of its biology can make a lot of sense. After all, genetics plays an important role in how animals behave, although their interaction with their environment should not be overlooked. The controversy in sociobiology arises when it tries to translate the same principles explained above to the human species..

As with other species, human behavior can be studied by comparing its social structure with that of other animals, especially primates. Many ape species, such as chimpanzees, manifest behaviors that are also observable in the human species. The anatomical and biological similarities between our species and other primates should also not be ignored.

In fact, one aspect in common between primates and humans is the number of individuals that form part of the closest social network.. Although the numbers may vary from species to species, human and other primate groups are between 10 and 100 members, which is significantly different compared to the usual two in birds and thousands in the case of many insect species.

Another interesting relationship found between humans and monkeys, specifically the cercopithecids, is the composition of social groups according to gender .. Although culture has served as a constraint, many sociobiologists maintain that males are polygamous by nature, while females opt for strategies to select the most suitable male. In cercopithecids, groups usually consist of a male and two or three females with whom he copulates.

A pattern of offspring care similar to that seen in humans has also been found in cercopithecids. During the first years, the babies are raised by the mother and, when they have grown up, they are in charge of looking for other individuals of the same age and sex. Social play also occurs, which helps them avoid aggression, encourages exploration and may serve to regulate sexual practices.

Criticism of this approach

Although some of the sociobiological approaches can help to understand both animal and human behavior, the approach has not been without its critics. Sociobiology has been interpreted as a defense of genetic determinism, i.e., that behavior is programmed in the genes and that the environment influences more than the environment.i.e., that behavior is programmed in the genes and that the environment has little influence.

One of the institutions that have sought to provide a critical view of this approach has been the Sociobiological Study Group. This multidisciplinary group has come to maintain that the links between human sociobiology and genetic determinism are comparable to the eugenics movement, social Darwinism or the consideration that, based on a person's IQ, he or she should have more or less job opportunities.

Extreme right-wing and neoconservative movements, based on a supposedly sociobiological and scientific vision, have defended racist, xenophobic, homophobic, supremacist and sexist ideas..

Sociobiology has been accused of claiming to justify the status quo of societies, arguing that the least favored people will remain so with no possibility of improvement since education and culture could not make up for their deficits. It has also been criticized for annulling the concept of human free will by claiming to reduce behavior to genes.

Bibliographical references:

• Wilson, E. O. (1978). On Human Nature. Harvard
• Wilson, David Sloan Wilson; Wilson, Edward O. (2007). Rethinking The Theoretical Foundation of Sociobiology. The Quarterly Review of Biology 82 (4): 327-348.
• Levallois, Clement (2018). The Development of Sociobiology in Relation to Animal Behavior Studies, 1946-1975. Journal of the History of Biology. 51 (3): 419-444.