ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on biology’s life history theory. The theory posits that clusters of correlated traits among species having mostly to do with reproductive strategies lie on a slow-to-fast continuum depending on the kinds of environments they inhabit. Species in harsh and unpredictable environments adopt a fast strategy characterized by high levels of mating effort and minimal levels of parenting effort. Although the human species qua species has evolved a slow life history, certain individuals in disadvantaged environment opt for a fast life history. That is, they will be reward dependent and seek material resources and sexual opportunities in any way they can. Their focus is on short-term gains at the expense of long-term costs, and on obtaining numerous sex mates and provide little parental investment. Genetic correlation studies find that alleles associated with high reproductive effort are positively correlated with alleles associated with antisocial behavior. The chapter ends with a discussion of how disadvantaged environments lead to the adoption of a fast life history.
