by We have evolved to have soft, friendly looking faces because we are very cooperative and gregarious creatures, say researchers. Our ability to cooperate is probably more important than our intelligence for the survival of our species. British naturalist Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection often gets broken down into one simple phrase: ‘Survival of the fittest,’ which we’ve come to understand as the survival of the strongest, meanest, most aggressive, and selfish. It’s a concept that thrives even today, as invoked in the Covid19 pandemic to shrug our shoulders at the plight of the elderly or to bolster anti-science politicians talking about their strength as a tool to fight off the virus. But evolutionary biologists say we’ve grossly misunderstood the concept of
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We have evolved to have soft, friendly looking faces because we are very cooperative and gregarious creatures, say researchers. Our ability to cooperate is probably more important than our intelligence for the survival of our species.
British naturalist Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection often gets broken down into one simple phrase: ‘Survival of the fittest,’ which we’ve come to understand as the survival of the strongest, meanest, most aggressive, and selfish. It’s a concept that thrives even today, as invoked in the Covid19 pandemic to shrug our shoulders at the plight of the elderly or to bolster anti-science politicians talking about their strength as a tool to fight off the virus. But evolutionary biologists say we’ve grossly misunderstood the concept of ‘fittest,’ and it’s hurting our lives and livelihoods.
We’ve Completely Misunderstood ‘Survival of the Fittest,’ Evolutionary Biologists Say