Strategies for Sharing Limited Resources among Children and Adolescents in Three Traditional Societies of East Africa: Sociocultural and Genetic Factors

Egalitarianism, pursuit for equality, and altruism are the most important evolutionarily stable strategies in the human society. This study presents data on the results of economic games for sharing with a potential friend or unfamiliar peer in three ethnic groups of East Africa (Hadza, Iraqw, and M...

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Published inDoklady. Biological sciences Vol. 494; no. 1; pp. 219 - 224
Main Authors Butovskaya, M. L., Karelin, D. V., Dronova, D. A., Filatova, V. O., Butovskaya, P. R., Tishkov, V. A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.09.2020
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Adolescents
Altruism
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Children
Egalitarianism
Evolutionary Biology
Gene polymorphism
General Biology
Genetic factors
Group selection
Life Sciences
Minority & ethnic groups
Plant Sciences
Single-nucleotide polymorphism
Teenagers
East Africa
egalitarianism
gene rs53576 SNP
Iraqw
altruism
Hadza
evolutionary stable strategies
egoism
Meru
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Summary:Egalitarianism, pursuit for equality, and altruism are the most important evolutionarily stable strategies in the human society. This study presents data on the results of economic games for sharing with a potential friend or unfamiliar peer in three ethnic groups of East Africa (Hadza, Iraqw, and Meru). The total sample was 583 children and adolescents; mean age, 13.5 ± 3.1 years. In addition, DNA analysis was carried out and the OXTR gene rs53576 single nucleotide polymorphism was genotyped for 162 Meru individuals. The pronounced individual variability in making decisions on sharing with a potential partner was established. Children and adolescents behaved altruistically towards friends significantly more frequently as compared with strangers. Carriers of the OXTR rs53576 GG variant displayed altruism significantly more frequently both to friends ( U = 3376.500, p = 0.047; OR = 3.075, p = 0.032) and to strangers ( U = 3478.000, p  = 0.025; OR = 3.133, p = 0.007). Significant intergroup differences in egalitarianism, egoism, and altruism were also demonstrated. Data obtained suggest a positive group selection towards altruists.
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ISSN:0012-4966
1608-3105
DOI:10.1134/S001249662004002X