The effect of dispersal on rates of cumulative cultural evolution

Biology Letters
M Dyble

Abstract

The ability to develop cultural adaptations to local environments is critical to the biological success of humans. Although overall population size and connectedness are thought to play an important role in increasing the rate of cumulative cultural evolution, the independent effect of dispersal rules on rates of cultural evolution has not been examined. Here, a computational model is used to explore the effect of dispersal on the rate of cultural evolution in traits transmitted patrilineally (from father to son), matrilineally (mother to daughter) and bilineally (through both sexes). Two dispersal conditions are modelled: patrilocality (where females disperse and males stay) and bilocality (where either sex may disperse). The results suggest that when only females disperse, the capacity for cumulative cultural evolution in traits shared only among males is severely constrained. This occurs even though overall rates of dispersal and the number of cultural models available to males and females are identical in both dispersal conditions. The constraints on the evolution of patrilineally inherited traits could be considered to represent a process of 'cultural inbreeding', analogous to genetic inbreeding.

References

Jun 22, 2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Robert BoydJoseph Henrich
Mar 6, 2012·Human Nature : an Interdisciplinary Biosocial Perspective·Karen L Kramer, Russell D Greaves
Dec 17, 2014·Nature Communications·Hannah M LewisAndrea Bamberg Migliano
Apr 5, 2016·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Krist VaesenWil Roebroeks
Jun 15, 2016·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Mark CollardWil Roebroeks
Mar 8, 2017·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Vivek V VenkataramanKirk M Endicott

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Citations

Mar 12, 2020·Science Advances·Andrea B MiglianoLucio Vinicius
Dec 25, 2021·Royal Society Open Science·Ketika GargV Bleu Knight

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