Simplifying Complexity
How cultural evolution shapes us - Part 1
Mar 17, 2025
Join Paul Smaldino, a Professor of Cognitive and Information Sciences and expert in cultural evolution, as he unpacks how cultural evolution shapes human behavior. Discover the fascinating interplay between culture and genetics, including how societal practices influence evolutionary traits like milk digestion. Smaldino also dives into the role of cultural norms in adaptive problem-solving and contrasts it with the evolution of organisms in stable environments. His insights challenge traditional disciplinary boundaries, highlighting the richness of transdisciplinary research.
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Quick takeaways
- Cultural evolution significantly influences human behavior by integrating genetic adaptation and cultural practices, exemplified by lactase persistence from dairy consumption.
- Social learning enhances cultural evolution by enabling individuals to adopt beneficial skills and strategies from others, fostering group survival in changing environments.
Deep dives
Understanding Cultural Evolution
Cultural evolution refers to how culture itself changes and develops over time, paralleling the principles of biological evolution. This concept is rooted in the work of researchers from the 1970s and 1980s who sought to apply formal biological modeling techniques to the study of culture. In essence, cultural evolution explores two inheritance systems: genetic inheritance from parents and cultural inheritance from various social influences. This interaction between genetic traits and cultural practices can result in significant adaptive advantages for individuals within their environments.
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