Evolutionary psychology is a branch of psychology that seeks to understand human
behavior and cognition through the lens of evolutionary theory. It posits that many aspects of human psychology, including emotions, motivations, and social behaviors, are the result of natural selection acting on ancestral populations over the course of human evolution. Evolutionary psychologists study how traits such as mate preferences, aggression, altruism, and cooperation may have evolved to enhance survival and reproductive success in our ancestors' environments. By examining the adaptive functions of behavior, evolutionary psychology aims to uncover the evolutionary origins of modern psychological phenomena and shed light on universal human nature across cultures and societies.