Review. Studying cumulative cultural evolution in the laboratory.
Cumulative cultural evolution is the term given to a particular kind of social learning, which allows for the accumulation of modifications over time, involving a ratchet-like effect where successful modifications are maintained until they can be improved upon. There has been great interest in the topic of cumulative cultural evolution from researchers from a wide variety of disciplines, but until recently there were no experimental studies of this phenomenon. Here, we describe our motivations for developing experimental methods for studying cumulative cultural evolution and review the results we have obtained using these techniques. The results that we describe have provided insights into understanding the outcomes of cultural processes at the population level. Our experiments show that cumulative cultural evolution can result in adaptive complexity in behaviour and can also produce convergence in behaviour. These findings lend support to ideas that some behaviours commonly attributed to natural selection and innate tendencies could in fact be shaped by cultural processes.
Caldwell
Christine A
CA
Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK. c.a.caldwell@stir.ac.uk
Millen
Ailsa E
AE
D000220:Adaptation, Biological / Q000502:physiology*; D003468:Cultural Evolution; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D012106:Research; D012919:Social Behavior
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Mar 20;104(12):5241-5
17360393
Br J Psychol. 2006 Aug;97(Pt 3):405-23
16848951
Behav Brain Sci. 2008 Oct;31(5):489-508; discussion 509-58
18826669
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2008 Nov 12;363(1509):3515-28
18799416
Evolution. 2004 Jan;58(1):1-11
15058714
Science. 2007 Sep 7;317(5843):1360-6
17823346
Nature. 1999 Jun 17;399(6737):682-5
10385119
Nature. 2005 Jan 13;433(7022):121
15650729
Nature. 2000 Jun 29;405(6790):1052-5
10890445
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2008 Nov 12;363(1509):3503-14
18801717
Proc Biol Sci. 2003 Apr 22;270(1517):867-74
12737666
J Theor Biol. 2007 May 7;246(1):129-35
17275852
Am J Primatol. 2002 Nov;58(3):133-48
12454957
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2008 Nov 12;363(1509):3489-501
18801720
Trends Genet. 2000 May;16(5):227-31
10782117
Hum Nat. 1992 Jun;3(2):157-78
24222403
Learn Behav. 2004 Feb;32(1):4-14
15161136
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2008 Nov 12;363(1509):3541-51
18799417
Psychon Bull Rev. 2007 Apr;14(2):288-94
17694915
Science. 2001 Mar 2;291(5509):1748-53
11249821
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2008 Nov 12;363(1509):3591-603
18801718
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2008 Nov 12;363(1509):3553-61
18799421
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2008 Nov 12;363(1509):3477-88
18799418
Anim Behav. 1997 Jun;53(6):1161-9
9236013
J Abnorm Soc Psychol. 1961 May;62:649-58
14450695
Behav Processes. 1986 Jun;13(1-2):191-202
24924871