Modeling the Evolution of Gene-Culture Divergence

Marriott, Chris; Chebib, Jobran

doi:10.7551/978-0-262-33936-0-ch081

Cited by 6 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…These included the simple evolutionary model, models with horizontal transfer of genetic material, agent-based models of social behavior, and evolutionary development models. The presentation concluded with a model of a coupled genetic-cultural system called the dual inheritance model [8,10,11]. The dual inheritance model incorporated elements of the other models listed.…”

Section: Mechanisms Of Social Learning and Cultural Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One benefit of the dual inheritance model is that it can support divergent genetic and cultural evolutionary trajectories [10,11]. Such divergence is needed to explain how cultural evolution can occur so rapidly (over generational time) and how culture can evolve that is contrary to biological survival.…”

Section: Mechanisms Of Social Learning and Cultural Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Social Learning and Cultural Evolution in Artificial Life

et al. 2018

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We describe the questions and discussions raised at the First Workshop on Social Learning and Cultural Evolution held at theArtificial Life Conference 2016 in Cancún, Mexico in July 2016. The purpose of the workshop was to assemble artificial life researchers interested in social learning and cultural evolution into one group so that we could focus on recent work and interesting open questions. Our discussion related to both the mechanisms of social learning and cultural evolution and the consequences and influence of social learning and cultural evolution on living systems. We present the contributions of our workshop presenters and conclude with a discussion of the more important open questions in this area.

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Section: Mechanisms Of Social Learning and Cultural Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mechanisms Of Social Learning and Cultural Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Learning and Cultural Evolution in Artificial Life

et al. 2018

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“…which occurs when sufficient learning shields genetics from selection pressure, thus slowing down the cultural evolutionary process (Marriott and Chebib 2016), and (ii) the 'Baldwin effect', which takes place when effective learning stimulates genetics by increasing particular selection pressures, and thus speeding up cultural evolution (ibid., Baldwin 1896, Sznajder et al 2012. A hiding effect occurs in a 'simple' cultural niche with moderate selection pressures that allow for the genetic inheritance to keep the pace with cultural change, without inhibiting ongoing biological evolution.…”

Section: Discussion: Heterochrony In Cultural Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exceptions to the rule? Ethnographic alternatives to cumulative cultural evolution

Steiner¹

2020

Int.J.Mod.Anthrop

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In suggesting that the rules that govern the evolution of cumulative culture are observed in all modern societies, gene-culture coevolution theory implies that the biases that affect the successful ‘ratcheting’ and efficient transmission of innovations are cross-cultural universals. In the modeling of the theory the stress is placed on demographic strength, the absence of which would render small and isolated populations vulnerable to the ‘treadmill effect’, the inevitable consequence of impaired social learning. However, the ethnographic literature documents small groups of isolated hunters and gatherers who have devised intricate risk-reduction networks that do not necessarily proliferate technological innovations and function only in low demographic settings. Moreover, with merit and abilities being equally distributed, the model-based and conformist biases that influence social learning in gene-culture coevolution theory become irrelevant and elaborate ‘leveling mechanisms’ inhibit the acquisition of status and prestige. As a result, no cultural models can rise to prominence and sway the trajectory of cultural change. Contrary to the predictions of the theory, these societies do not seem to be plagued by cultural loss and, instead of hopelessly running the treadmill and living in poverty, they have developed egalitarian and, to an extent, ‘affluent’ societies. The model forwarded in this paper resolves this apparent paradox by enrolling the hypothesis of ‘cultural neoteny’. It is contended that egalitarian societies – despite their simple (immediate-return) mode of subsistence – are not the vestiges of an ancestral/universal stage from which more complex (delayed-return) economies would linearly evolve, but a relatively recent and idiosyncratic achievement through ‘subtractive cultural evolution’. Keywords: anarchic theory in ethnography, cultural heterochrony, cumulative/subtractive cultural evolution, immediate-return/egalitarian societies, ratcheting/leveling mechanisms.

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“…The generations of socializers increased at about half the rate (Figure 3). This is due to an emergence of eusocial breeding culture in our agents (Marriott and Chebib, 2016b).…”

Section: Observations and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Divergent Cumulative Cultural Evolution

Marriott¹,

Chebib²

2016

Proceedings of the Artificial Life Conference 2016

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Divergent cumulative cultural evolution occurs when the cultural evolutionary trajectory diverges from the biological evolutionary trajectory. We consider the conditions under which divergent cumulative cultural evolution can occur. We hypothesize that two conditions are necessary. First that genetic and cultural information are stored separately in the agent. Second cultural information must be transferred horizontally between agents of different generations. We implement a model with these properties and show evidence of divergent cultural evolution under both cooperative and competitive selection pressures.

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Modeling the Evolution of Gene-Culture Divergence

Cited by 6 publications

References 24 publications

Social Learning and Cultural Evolution in Artificial Life

Social Learning and Cultural Evolution in Artificial Life

Exceptions to the rule? Ethnographic alternatives to cumulative cultural evolution

Divergent Cumulative Cultural Evolution

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