full text - Caspar Bgsu - Bowling Green State University

1. Aggression 3
These exhibit fighting that greatly exceeds the most effective norm, they
readily launch the initial attack even in situations where they ought not to,
are overly eager to escalate or retaliate, show a willingness to follow an
excessively physical trajectory even when an opponent has already withdrawn,
or fail to back down in situations where there is little prospect of winning.
Such behaviors rarely make for an effective strategy, as they coincide with
greater risk of injury or death, or in the best-case scenario, attaining a
low rank.
A thorough analysis of aggression minimally demands that we (1)
capture the essence of an inherently multifaceted phenotype, (2) address underlying
elements of motivation that are not always readily observed or elicited,
(3) understand the various scenarios and contexts that influence its expression,
(4) decipher the neural, hormonal, and genetic causes that are at work, and (5)
explore how its components are shaped by evolution. The chapters in this
volume aim to provide a comprehensive overview of these topics as their authors
unravel the individual behavioral and neural strands constituting situations of
conflict.
Initial chapters of the volume characterize the elemental building
blocks of aggression; they assess, precisely delineate, and account for aggression’s
different and unique components, and explain how intricate behavioral constructs
often emerge from much simpler roots. The initial chapters review
aggression from a predominantly evolutionary perspective. Conflicts are energetically
costly and carry inherent risks. Natural selection offers a powerful conceptual
tool as it focuses on an individual’s behavioral strategies and decision
making in ways that maximize its fitness. Evolution can only exert its influence
on characters that depend, at least partially, on genetic underpinnings. Lindenfors
and Tullberg (Chapter 2) discuss the significance of sexual selection as a key
evolutionary structuring force in aggression. In most scenarios, ritualized displays
take the place of unchecked, aggressive interactions. Game theory offers a
powerful framework for why animals only tend to fight with great ferocity
when a resource of exceptional value is at stake. Resources are rarely worth the
risk of sustaining injury, and competing individuals will do best by resolving
conflicts with ritualized displays only. Skill in assessing the relative strength of an
opponent is key for navigating the demands, risks, and opportunities of social
living. The review by van Staaden and colleagues (Chapter 3) discusses a
prominent role for signaling aggressive behaviors, which permit individuals to
obtain valid estimates of an opponent’s true strength. Once an animal is bested
by an opponent, it is always better to adopt submissive behavior and accept
subordinate status, rather than risk something far worse. A wide range of attributes
decides between victory and defeat. With prominent asymmetries in the
size of weapons, strength, or agility, fights are often quickly resolved. In many
instances, though, social success will depend also on an ability to form successful