ABSTRACT
How different are we from other animals? How much can we learn about the determinants of human behavior by studying our phylogenetically close—and not so close—animal relatives? How much can we learn about the determinants of human behavior by studying ourselves? Each of the chapters in this volume addresses these issues. Here, we approach the problem from the perspective of evolutionary genetics, discussing three specific questions:
How similar are we genetically to our nearest living animal relatives? What implications does this degree of similarity have for the comparative study of behavior?
To what extent can Darwinian principles be applied to the study of human social behavior?
What tools are available for the genetic analysis of human behavioral traits?
