The proposition is advanced that many current measures of kinship strength may paradoxically indicate inadequate or weakened kinship structures. That is so because they rely on measures that emphasize continuous proximity. This curious paradox is a consequence of inattention to the relationship between technology, services, and proximity. This article presents nonproximity indicators of kinship...

In this truly one-of-a-kind book, Ascher introduces the mathematical ideas of people in traditional, or small-scale, cultures often omitted from discussion of mathematics. Topics such as Numbers: Words and Symbols, Tracing Graphs in the Sand, The Logic of Kin Relations, Chance and Strategy in Games and Puzzles, and The Organization and Modeling of Space are traced in various cultures including ...

Kin selection is a powerful concept in evolutionary biology that can explain both cooperative and competitive behavior. Most social behavior associated with kin selection depends on prior dispersal decisions by juveniles, which can choose to either disperse away from kin or remain at the natal site. A useful way to investigate the role of kin in social behavior is to experimentally manipulate k...

We demonstrate the existence of altruism via kin selection in artificial life and explore its nuances. We do so in the Avida system through a setup that is based on the behavior of colicinogenic bacteria: Organisms can kill unrelated organisms in a given radius but must kill themselves to do so. Initially, we confirm results found in the bacterial world: Digital organisms do sacrifice themselve...

Although previous research demonstrates the importance of the availability of marriageable men, earnings, and employment stability for racial differences in marriage, it also suggests that other factors likely contribute to this variation. This study investigates a new factor that might help to explain racial variation in marriage, the kinship group. To explore this possible connection, we exam...

Studies of kin recognition in birds have largely focused on parent-offspring recognition using auditory or visual discrimination. Recent studies indicate that birds use odors during social and familial interactions and possibly for mate choice, suggesting olfactory cues may mediate kin recognition as well. Here, we show that Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti), a natally philopatric specie...

Demographic computer microsimulation is applied to produce projections of numbers and distributions of close kin for the U.S. elderly of 2030. This paper reports results for the non-black population, with special emphasis on the numbers and possible roles of step-kin. The projections indicate that the elderly of 2030 are likely to be moderately deprived in terms of numbers of close living biolo...