Summary
The paper provides a critical discussion of the role ethology may play in the study of human behaviour. The mechanisms of avoidance of consanguineal mating in some animal species and Man are analysed and compared. Aggression and competition are discussed in relation to agonistic courtship, and play behaviour.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aberle, D. F., U. Bronfenbrenner, E. H. Hess, D. R. Miller, D. M. Schneider &J. N. Spuhler (1963). The incest taboo and the mating patterns of animals. -Am. Anthrop.65(2), p. 253–265.
Alland, A. (1972). The human imperative.-Columbia Univ. Press, New York, London.
Ardrey, R. (1961). African genesis.-Dell, New York.
— (1966). The territorial imperative.-Dell, New York.
Baerends, G. P., R. Brouwer &H. Tj. Waterbolk (1955). Ethological studies onLebistes reticulatus (Peters): I. An analysis of the male courtship pattern. -Behaviour8, p. 249–334.
Bastock, M. (1967). Courtship: A zoological study.-Heinemann, London.
Bischof, N. (1972a). The biological foundations of the incest taboo.-Soc. Sci. Inform.11(6), p. 7–36.
— (1972b). Inzuchtbarrieren in SÄugetiersozietÄten.-Homo23, p. 330–351.
Brown, J. L. (1964). The integration of agonistic behavior in the Steller's Jay,Cyanocitta Stelleri (Gmelin).-Univ. Calif. Publ. Zoöl.60(4), p. 223–328.
— &R. W. Hunsperger, (1963). Neurothology and the motivation of agonistic behaviour.-Anim. Behav.11, p. 439–448.
Chance, M. R. A. & C. J. Jolly (1970). Social groups of monkeys, apes and men.-Cape, London, 224 p.
Cohen, Y. A. (1964). The transition from childhood to adolescence.-Aldine, Chicago.
Coult, A. D. (1963). Causality and cross-sex prohibitions.-Am. Anthrop.65(2), p. 266–277.
Durkheim, E. (1898). La prohibition de l'incest.-Année Sociol.1, p. 1–70.
Fischer, H. (1965). Das Triumphgeschrei der Graugans (Anser anser).-Zeitschr. f. Tierpsychol.22, p. 247–304.
Fox, J. R. (1962). Sibling incest.-The British J. Sociol.13, p. 128–150.
— (1967). Kinship and marriage.-Penguin Books, Harmondsworth.
Frank, F. (1956). BeitrÄge zur Biologie der Feldmaus,Microtus arvalis (Pallas). II. Laboratoriumsergebnisse.-Zool. Jahrb., Abt. Syst. ökol. und Geogr. der Tiere84, p. 32–74.
Freud, S. (1956) (1913). Totem und Tabu.-Fischer Bücherei, Frankfurt.
Heinroth, O. (1910). BeitrÄge zur Biologie, namentlich Ethologie und Psychologie der Anatiden.-Verh. 5. Int. Ornithol. Kongr. Berlin, p. 589–702.
Hinde, R. A. (1966). Animal behaviour; A synthesis of ethology and comparative psychology.-McGraw-Hill, New York.
Imanishi, K. (1965). The origin of the human family—A primatological approach.In:Imanishi, K. & S. A.Altmann (eds.) Japanese monkeys.-Edmonton, the Publisher.
Itani, J. (1966). Die soziale Ordnung bei den Japanischen Affen.-Das Tier6, p. 8–12.
Josselin de Jong, J. P. B. de (1952).Lévi-Strauss's theory on kinship and marriage.-Med. Rijksmus. Volkenk. nr. 10.
Kortmulder, K. (1968). An ethological theory of the incest taboo and exogamy; with special reference to the views ofCl. Lévi-Strauss.-Curr. Anthrop.9, p. 437–449.
-(1972). A comparative study in colour patterns and behaviour in seven AsiaticBarbus species; A progress report.-Behaviour, Suppl.19.
Kruijt, J. P. (1964). Ontogeny of social behaviour in Burmese red junglefowl (Gallus gallus spadiceus).-Behaviour, Suppl.12.
Lawick-Goodall, J. van (1968). The behaviour of free-living chimpanzees in the Gombe stream reserve.-Anim. Behav. Monogr.1(3), p. 161–311.
Lévi-Strauss, Cl. (1949). Les structures élémentaires de la parenté.-Press. Univ. France, Paris.
Lietaert Peerbolte, M. (1968). Psychocybernetica; een psychisch energetische inleiding.-De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam.
— (1971). De verschijning mens; vanwaar, waarheen.-De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam.
Loizos, C. (1967). Play behavior in higher primates: A review.-In:Morris, D. (ed.) Primate ethology.-Aldine, Chicago, p. 179–219.
Lorenz, K. (1939). Die Paarbildung beim Kolkraben.-Zeitschr. f. Tierpsychol.3, p. 278–292.
— (1943). Die angeborenen Formen möglicher Erfahrung.-Zeitschr. f. Tier-psychol.5, p. 235–409.
Manley, G. H. (1960). The swoop and soar performance of the blackheaded gull,Larus ridibundus L.-Ardea48, p. 37–51.
Maslow, A. H. (1962). Toward a psychology of being.-Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, xi + 214 p.
Miller, R. J. (1962). Reproductive behavior of the stoneroller minnowCampostoma anomalum pullum.-Copeia, p. 407–417.
— &D. D. Hall (1968). A quantitative description and analysis of courtship and reproductive behavior in the anabantoid fishTrichogaster Leeri (Bleeker). -Behaviour32, p. 85–149.
Missakian, E. A. (1973). Genealogical mating activity in free-ranging groups of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) on Cayo Santiago.-Behaviour45, p. 225–241.
Nelson, K. (1964). Behavior and morphology in the Glandulocaudine fishes.-Univ. Calif. Publ. Zoöl.75(2), p. 59–152.
Reynolds, V. &G. Luscombe (1969). Chimpanzee rank order and the function of displays. In:Carpenter, C. R. (ed.) 2nd Conf. Int. Primatol. Soc.,Behaviour vol. I,-Karger, Basel, New York.
Russell, W. M. S. (1958, 1959, 1961, 1962). Evolutionary concepts in behavioural science I–IV.-General Systems3, p. 18–28;4, p. 45–73;6, p. 51–92; 7, p. 157–193.
Sade, D. S. (1965). Some aspects of parent-offspring and sibling relations in a group of rhesus monkeys, with a discussion of grooming.-Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. n.s.23, p. 1–17.
— (1968). Inhibition of son-mother mating among freeranging rhesus monkeys.-Science and Psychoanalysis12, p. 18–38.
Scott, J. P. (1958). Aggression.-Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago, London.
Seligman, B. Z. (1929). Incest and descent.-J. Roy. Anthrop. Inst.59, p. 231–272.
— (1950). The problem of incest and exogamy.-Am. Anthrop.61, p. 1042–1059.
Spiro, M. E. (1958). Children of the kibbutz.-Harvard. Univ. Press, Cambridge.
Storr, A. (1968). Human aggression.-New York, Atheneum, 127 p.
Talmon, Y. (1964). Mate selection in collective settlements.-Am. Sociol. Rev.29, p. 491–508.
Tinbergen, N. &E. A. Tinbergen (1972). Early childhood autism. An ethological approach.-In: Advances in Ethology (Suppl. to Zeitschr. f. Tierpsychol.)10, p. 1–53.-Parey, Berlin.
Tokuda, K. (1961–62). A study on the sexual behavior in the Japanese monkey troop.-Primates3, p. 1–40.
Weinberg, S. K. (1955). Incest behavior.-Citadel, New York.
Westermarck, E. (1889). The history of human marriage.-Allerton, New York.
Wolf, A. P. (1966). Childhood association, sexual attraction, and the incest taboo: A Chinese case.-Am. Anthrop.68, p. 883–898.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Paper given at a meeting of the Netherlands Society for Theoretical Biology, 10 November 1973, titled: “Ethologie gaat vreemd ?”.
I am much indebted to Prof. P.Sevenster for encouragement and discussion; to him and to Dr. J.van den Assem for a critical reading of the manuscript.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kortmulder, K. On ethology and human behaviour. Acta Biotheor 23, 55–78 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01614684
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01614684