Cultural drive breeds war in new evolutionary theory

A new evolutionary model shows that a cultural drive to fight for fighting’s sake, even when there is no benefit for the winner, can explain the evolution of intergroup conflict in human societies. The mechanism underlying this process is acculturation — the adoption, through coercion or imitation, of the victor’s cultural traits. It’s an alternative to the common theoretical explanation that warfare erupts over reproduction-enhancing resources, such as food, territory, or mates.