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Yanomamo (Chagnon, 1983)

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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

Synonyms

Yanomami

Definition

Tribal people located in South America known for their aggressive lifestyle and chronic warfare between villages.

Introduction

Along the borders of Venezuela and Brazil resides an Indigenous group of people called the Yanomamö. Well known for their highly aggressive warriors and conflict over women, the Yanomamö provide insight into how tribal men may have used positions of status to acquire more mating opportunities. Most notably studied by anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon (2013), the Yanomamö were documented in his fieldwork to exist in a nearly constant state of warfare. Chagnon studied the Yanomamö over the course of approximately 25 trips to the region, spanning 35 years. In that time, Chagnon provided extensive documentation of their social structure and the influence that leadership and high status positions have on mating success within their polygynous society.

Social Structure and Sexual Access

Overall, the Yanomamö are composed of approximately...

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References

  • Chagnon, N. A. (1988). Life histories, blood revenge, and warfare in a tribal population. Science, 239, 985–992.

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  • Chagnon, N. A. (1992). Yanomamö (4th ed.). Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

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  • Chagnon, N. A. (2013). Noble savages: My life among two dangerous tribes. New York: Simon and Schuster.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Samantha Brindley & Melissa McDonald

Authors
  1. Samantha Brindley
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  2. Melissa McDonald
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Samantha Brindley .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Melissa McDonald

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Brindley, S., McDonald, M. (2017). Yanomamo (Chagnon, 1983). In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_970-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_970-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

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