Race, evolution, and behavior

About “Race, evolution, and behavior”

Testing for racial differences in behavior has been largely ignored over the past sixty years, and when addressed, often faced strong negative reactions. J. Philippe Rushton argues that substantial racial differences exist and can only be explained through an evolutionary perspective. In Race, Evolution, and Behavior, he reviews international data and identifies a pattern where East Asians and Africans are at opposite ends of a continuum, with Europeans in between, though there is significant variation within each group. Rushton suggests that as modern humans migrated out of Africa, the colder Eurasian climate selected for larger brains, more planning, greater family stability, and longer life, along with lower sex hormones, faster maturation, and reduced aggressiveness. His theory focuses on a trade-off between parenting and mating, proposing that certain traits evolved together to improve genetic replication. He claims his models explain differences in intelligence, twinning rates, and other traits, and may help explain human nature and individual differences. The book includes chapters on character traits, behavioral genetics, race and racism, brain size and intelligence, and sexual potency. Race, Evolution, and Behavior is intended to challenge current approaches in social science and is recommended for scholars in sociology, anthropology, genetics, psychology, and African studies.