Peer-Reviewed Journal Details
Mandatory Fields
King, Robert; O’Riordan, Caoilfhionn
2019
July
Human Nature
Near the knuckle: how evolutionary logic helps explain Irish Traveller bare-knuckle contests
Published
()
Optional Fields
Bare-knuckle fights Male-male competition Evolution Aggression Combat Life-history theory
30
3
272
298
Irish Travellers constitute a pre-demographic-shift population living among a post-demographic-shift one. Their socio-medico profile identifies them as largely on fast life-history trajectories. In addition, they are strongly religious (typically using no contraception), highly sexually behaviorally dimorphic, with strong traditions of male-male competition (bare-knuckle fighting) and quasi-symbolic bride capture (“grabbing”). Their male-male competitions thus allow for the comparative testing of a number of interesting theories pertaining to the nature and function of types of violence in society. As a pilot study, we used expert raters (some naive to the hypotheses) to analyze a number of real-life bare-knuckle competitions in terms of the support said spectacles offered to theories of this sort of violence as reinforcing ideas of antisociality, hierarchical promotion, intersexual signaling, or maintenance of within-group equality. We found good evidence to support theories of within-group, prosocial hierarchical functions for these contests. Limitations and implications for future research, such as direct measurement of fitness, are discussed.
1045-6767
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-019-09351-7
10.1007/s12110-019-09351-7
Grant Details