Dr Peter Moore: Prove we have advanced from our ancestors

A few years ago I read a study about a monkey colony. As with humans they had a hierarchy with an alpha male at the top. As the colony expanded there developed competition for dominance. Rather than fighting, the colony split, and a new colony was formed.
This is probably how us humans came to expand across the planet. As each early human colony expanded it split with one group going off to find a new territory. Eventually this took our ancestors out of Africa and across the globe.
Tragically one aspect of the research is highly relevant to us humans today. If the breakaway colony had nowhere to go, of example if they were on an island, the colonies started to fight. As a species, when land is limited, aggression sets in.
We see this basic instinct across the centuries and across the world. Whether it is Northern Island in the troubles, Ukraine or Palestine most wars are over territory.  
We can go right back to Genesis in the Bible to see that Abraham, who is a patriarch of Christianity, Islam and Judaism, led to claims of land ownership from three religions. And the 11th and 12th century crusades involved attempts by Christians to regain land from Muslims.  
This approach may have been behind the European Countries desire to build an empire, leading to yet more wars.  
Even at a local level gangs fight over their 'territory'. This is the theme of the musical West Wide Story, based on Romeo and Juliet. It is also behind some of the knife crime we see in our cities today.  
When the Europeans colonised America the native Americans had no concept of owning land. They moved over the huge prairies and the idea of owning land was as alien as owning the air we breathe. So, when the colonialists tried to negotiate over land the native Americans found the whole concept mystifying.  
During the Sioux War in 1876 one tribe appealed to the US army when another tribe moved into their land.  This led to the battle of Little Bighorn and the famous Custer’s last stand. His strategy was to ride into the Native American’s camp, capture the women and children and hold them hostage. Sadly, the actions of Hamas are not new.
Although legend has it that Custer bravely stood his ground until he was killed archaeological evidence gives a different story. He was probably running away although in that situation it sounds sensible. But the idea that he was a hero fighting for his rights is a bit dubious.
When I read about this, I realised that when I played cowboys and Indians as a child I had backed the wrong side. It was after his death that his widow worked hard to establish his reputation as an all-American hero. But, yet again, the Battle of Little Bighorn was, like the monkey colony, a battle for land.  
Custer gained a good record fighting for the Union in the American Civil War but did not have a promising start.  He came 34th out or 34 graduates at the West Point military academy and had one of the worst conduct records in the academy’s history with 726 disciplinary offences.  
A poor record during training does not always lead to a poor career. General Montgomery, one of the British heroes of the Second World War whose statue is now outside the Ministry of Defence in London, was nearly expelled from Sandhurst for rowdiness and violence. Perhaps breaking the rules and violent behaviour when young produces good commanders later in life. Are they the alpha males of our monkey colony? 
Is it helpful to understand that violence and war is hardwired into our brains?  Does that make it inevitable? I may be naive but if we understand our basic emotions we might be able to stand back and ask questions. It is time to prove that we have advanced from our monkey ancestors.