http://popups.lib.uliege.be/3041-5527/index.php?id=6116 Entrées d’index fr 0 http://popups.lib.uliege.be/3041-5527/index.php?id=6120 A reconstruction of social structure and social relations in early hominids is proposed on the basis of modern data on primate socioecology. Relations between predator pressure and within-group structure, between the distribution of resources and competition within and between the groups is analyzed. General tendencies in the association between social structure (dominance, kin-clans) and the level of within-group cohesion is supposed to be universal for non-hominid primates and hominids. Models of aggression and peacemaking for hominids are proposed. The nature of male-female bonding and parental investment at different stages of hominid evolution appears to be linked with ecological and anatomical changes, as well as with cultural innovations (hunting, emergence of home bases). Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:57:22 +0100 Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:57:30 +0100 http://popups.lib.uliege.be/3041-5527/index.php?id=6120 http://popups.lib.uliege.be/3041-5527/index.php?id=6115 The origin of animal societies is found in two types of intraspecific cooperation: the mating system and the breeding system. In both systems interaction leads to individual recognition of partner(s). The functional context of these two systems is temporally limited. The first step to a new quality of societies was an increase in the duration of social bonding. The main steps of evolution of social behaviour may be reflected by the following classification : 1. Solitary species ; no cooperation (except mating pairs). 2. Simple “societies” with communication and cooperation. 2.1. Subsocial groups : social behaviour only restricted to parental care. 2.2. Semisocial groups : cooperation with mutual benefit of the cooperators. 3. Complex societies : altruistic behaviour may be highly developed; a well-defined “division of labour” among the group members. 3.1. Invertebrate societies with impersonal social organization; the relationships will be rigidly established on the basis of caste. 3.2. Vertebrate societies ; members recognize each another as specific individuals, they often structure their interpersonal relations through dominance hierarchies. The primate societies have reached a high degree of differentiation. They have unusually varied and diverse ways of expressing themselves socially. They have evolved into many species of unusually complex societies. This is the basis for human social evolution. Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:54:03 +0100 Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:54:11 +0100 http://popups.lib.uliege.be/3041-5527/index.php?id=6115