Human evolution: an alternate model of hominid social development

Abstract

Speculations on the evolution of hominid social structure have become quite popular in recent years. The primary concern of these theorists has been the development of a model which would accurately depict the adaptive strategy of early man. This paper is a response to the models which have been proposed. I will concern myself with one model in particular: the baboon analogy. This analogy has come into great favor in anthropological circles; so much so that it seems to have been accepted as a close approximation of the truth, This paper is an attempt to show that there are other, equally viable, models which can account for the fossil record and the idiosyncrasies of modern human society. An analogy accepted as explanation can be very damaging to future theoretical orientations. It is dangerous to put too much weight on such tenuous speculation. I will attempt to show that the adaptive strategy of the patas monkey can be used to explain hominid social evolution at least as well as the baboon analogy.