Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Table of Contents - April 2012 - Volume 35, Issue 02  

Open Peer Commentary

Are the pathogens of out-groups really more dangerous?

Mícheál de Barraa1 and Val Curtisa1

a1 The Hygiene Centre, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom. micheal.debarra@lshtm.ac.uk http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/people/debarra.micheal val.curtis@lshtm.ac.uk http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/people/curtis.val

Abstract

We question the plausibility of Fincher & Thornhill's (F&T's) argument that localised pathogen-host coevolution leads to out-groups having pathogens more damaging than those infecting one's own family or religious group.

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