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Pets in The Family: An Evolutionary Perspective: January 2012
Pets in The Family: An Evolutionary Perspective: January 2012
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James A Serpell
University of Pennsylvania
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Abstract
Pets have become such a common component of modern family life that we tend to take them for
granted. Nevertheless, from an evolutionary standpoint, pets present us with a paradox comparable
to—though even more puzzling than—that posed by the phenomenon of adoption. In the latter case,
one can at least argue that adoptive parents may derive deferred fitness benefits from the future
contribution of adopted children to the family economy (Kramer, 2005). But in the case of adopted
pets, such contributions appear to be minimal at best, whereas the level of investment in their care and
sustenance is sometimes considerable. The paradox further intensifies when one considers that pet
keeping is not confined to modern, affluent societies, but is widespread among subsistence hunters and
horticulturalists whose opportunities to engage in nonfitness enhancing behavior would appear to be
much more constrained. This chapter critically examines theories that purport to explain how pet
keeping evolved and why it continues to persist and flourish in a wide range of cultures. Given the
current state of knowledge, few firm conclusions can be drawn at this time regarding the possible
adaptive consequences of pet keeping. However, it is possible to highlight future areas of research that
may help to illuminate the functional significance (if any) of this intriguing behavior.
Keywords: evolution; mutualism; pets; pet keeping; adoption; human-animal interaction
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Table 17.1 Adaptive and Nonadaptive Hypotheses to Account for the Existence of Pet Keeping
Hypothesis Benefits to Pet Owners Fitness Effect (Adaptive) or Mechanism of Maintenance
(Nonadaptive)
Adaptive
Social Buffering Enhanced survival Keeping pets provides a social buffer against the negative health
effects of psychosocial stress.
Parenting Experience Increased reproductive Keeping pets provides experience of parenting/nurturing which
success translates into higher reproductive success when the pet owner
breeds.
Honest Advertisement Enhanced future Keeping pets demonstrates an individual’s parenting/nurturing
(of parenting ability) probability of breeding skills, thereby increasing his/her probability of being chosen as
a mate.
Nonadaptive
Neutral trait None Pet keeping is a selectively neutral trait, maintained by genetic
(and/or memetic) drift.
Social parasitism None Pet keeping is maintained as an unavoidable low-cost by-
product of parental care motivations that are exploited by other
species.
Modified from Emlen, S.T., Reeve, H.K., Sherman, P.W., Wrege, P.H., Ratnieks, F.L.W., & Shellman-Reeve, J. (1991). Adaptive versus
nonadaptive explanations of behavior: The case of alloparental helping. American Naturalist, 138, 259–270, with permission.