Outline an evolutionary explanation of one example of group display in humans (4 marks)

You should briefly outline and evaluate relevant explanations for one example of group display, such as sports or warfare. Don't spend too much time on this question - just a couple of paragraphs will do!


Xenophobia is often present in sports events, with racist  chants and signals often exhibited in the crowds of football matches. Many psychologists believe that natural selection has favoured the genes which cause humans to be altruistic towards members of their own group but intolerant towards outsiders. This may be because it would have prompted our ancestors to be suspicious towards strangers, helping them to avoid attack.

Group displays in sport are also based on territoriality, the protective response to an invasion of one's territory. Studies have revealed that sports players feel a greater burden in matches when 'defending the home territory', and some teams use aggressive displays to intimidate their opponents. Such displays may have been adaptive for our ancestors because they allowed groups to defend valuable resources associated with their territory.

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