The life histories and behavior of humans, like those of other species, are shaped by natural selection. Some life history traits that heighten our resource consumption arise from an unusual combination of high intelligence and extreme sociality; as humans evolved, we have become ever smarter and more efficient about extracting resources for ourselves. We humans are doing what other species do, extracting resources from the environment to survive and reproduce-but we have become so good at it that we are having an ever-increasing impact on populations of other species. The reactions of other species depend in part on their life history, shaped by their evolutionary past: have they repeatedly confronted extremes? Changes? Or, if they have had a long history of relatively little change in important environmental variables, how can they cope? Further, their life histories and ecologies are strong determinants of the most efficient human extraction techniques. Understanding life histories, both of other species and of our own, is important for a sustainable future.