Abstract
There are several social and genetic reasons why the avoidance of mating between close relatives may be advantageous, and an examination and evaluation of recent research in the area of primate sexual behaviour and group interaction suggests that such an avoidance exists among the non-human primates. Furthermore. certain behaviours such as the differential dispersal of males and females in the natal area, the inter-troop transfer of individuals of one sex, and reduced sexual attraction between individuals raised in close association, may function as incest avoiding mechanisms. Yet, in attempting to account for human incest prohibitions. several authors maintain that there is no "natural" human tendency to avoid incest and that the aversion to incestuous behavior arises out of the prohibition itself. This position, however, must be questioned given the fact that the non-language bearing primates also appear to avoid incestuous matings.
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