ABSTRACT
Humans stockpile resources that historically have been valuable for survival and reproduction. These include fertile land and access to fresh water, food, tools, and weapons. There are many means for gaining access to the valuable resources held by others, such as engaging in social exchange, stealing, or trickery. Men often form coalitions for the purposes of forcibly co-opting the resources of others. Among the Yanomamo, for example, male coalitions raid neighboring tribes and forcibly take food and reproductive-aged women. The presence of aggressive con specifics poses a serious adaptive problem for would-be victims: They stand to lose the valuable resources that are co-opted by their aggressors. In addition, victims might suffer injury or death, impeding both survival and reproduction. Aggression to inflict costs on rivals can range from verbal barbs to beatings and killings. Men and women both derogate their same-sex rivals, impugning their status and reputation to make them less desirable to members of the other sex.
