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Tureček P, Kozák M, Slavík J. How subcultures emerge. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2023; 5:e24. [PMID: 37587934 PMCID: PMC10426082 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2023.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Sympatric speciation is typically presented as a rare phenomenon, but urban subcultures frequently emerge even in the absence of geographic isolation. Is there perhaps something that culture has but biological inheritance does not that would account for this difference? We present a novel model that combines assortative interaction and multidimensional inheritance. Our computer simulations show that assortment alone can lead to the formation of cohesive clusters of individuals with low within-group and large between-group variability even in the absence of a spatial separation or disruptive natural selection. All it takes is a proportionality between the variance of inputs (cultural 'parents') and outputs (cultural 'offspring'). We argue that variability-dependent inheritance cannot be easily accomplished by genes alone, but it may be the norm, not the exception, in the transmission of culture between humans. This model explains the frequent emergence of subcultures and behavioural clustering in our species and possibly also other cultural animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Tureček
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 2, 128 00, Czech Republic
- Center for Theoretical Study, Charles University and Czech Academy of Sciences, Jilská 1, Prague 1, 110 00, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Kozák
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Trojanova 13, 120 00, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Slavík
- Institute of Information Theory and Automation, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Pod Vodárenskou věží 4, 180 00, Prague 8, Czech Republic
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Malige F, Patris J, Hauray M, Giraudet P, Glotin H. Mathematical models of long term evolution of blue whale song types' frequencies. J Theor Biol 2022; 548:111184. [PMID: 35697145 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2022.111184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The linear decrease in the frequency of blue whale songs around the world is, to date, an unexplained phenomenon. We show it can be reproduced by a mathematical model considering two antagonistic behavioral trends: first, a bias towards conformity in the song, and second, a tendency to try and sing lower than the other whales. We check the robustness of our model by considering some more complex premises. First, different hierarchical relations between the singers are explored, adapting methods used in the flocking motion studies. Then a population-dependant simulation shows that even considering the gradual addition of new whales, the evolution is still globally linear. Finally, we show that intra-annual variations surging from different causes can be naturally incorporated into the model. We then conclude that, unlike other explanations, a cultural hypothesis seems compatible with the observed linearity of the blue whales's songs frequency shift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franck Malige
- DYNI team, LIS laboratory, Université de Toulon, Campus de La Garde, Bat. X, CS 60584, 83041 Toulon Cedex 9, France.
| | - Julie Patris
- Faculté des sciences, université d'Aix-Marseille, site Montperrin, 6 avenue du Pigonnet, 13090 Aix en Provence, France.
| | - Maxime Hauray
- Institut de mathématiques de Marseille, université d'Aix-Marseille, Technopole Chateau-Gombert, 39 rue F. Joliot Curie, 13453 Marseille Cedex 13, France.
| | - Pascale Giraudet
- DYNI team, LIS laboratory, Université de Toulon, Campus de La Garde, Bat. X, CS 60584, 83041 Toulon Cedex 9, France.
| | - Hervé Glotin
- DYNI team, LIS laboratory, Université de Toulon, Campus de La Garde, Bat. X, CS 60584, 83041 Toulon Cedex 9, France.
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Grueter CC, Qi X, Zinner D, Bergman T, Li M, Xiang Z, Zhu P, Migliano AB, Miller A, Krützen M, Fischer J, Rubenstein DI, Vidya TNC, Li B, Cantor M, Swedell L. Multilevel Organisation of Animal Sociality. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:834-847. [PMID: 32473744 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Multilevel societies (MLSs), stable nuclear social units within a larger collective encompassing multiple nested social levels, occur in several mammalian lineages. Their architectural complexity and size impose specific demands on their members requiring adaptive solutions in multiple domains. The functional significance of MLSs lies in their members being equipped to reap the benefits of multiple group sizes. Here, we propose a unifying terminology and operational definition of MLS. To identify new avenues for integrative research, we synthesise current literature on the selective pressures underlying the evolution of MLSs and their implications for cognition, intersexual conflict, and sexual selection. Mapping the drivers and consequences of MLS provides a reference point for the social evolution of many taxa, including our own species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril C Grueter
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Xiaoguang Qi
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, 710069, China.
| | - Dietmar Zinner
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center (DPZ), Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus for Primate Cognition, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thore Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ming Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Zuofu Xiang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, China
| | - Pingfen Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | | | - Alex Miller
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Michael Krützen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Julia Fischer
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center (DPZ), Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Department for Primate Cognition, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniel I Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - T N C Vidya
- Evolutionary and Organismal Biology Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Jakkur, Bengaluru 560064, India
| | - Baoguo Li
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, 710069, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Maurício Cantor
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, 78464, Germany; Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78464, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78464, Germany; Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, 88048-970, Brazil; Centro de Estudos do Mar, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Pontal do Paraná, 83255-000, Brazil; School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
| | - Larissa Swedell
- Department of Anthropology, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY 11367-1597, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY 11367, USA; Anthropology, Biology and Psychology Programs, CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, Cape Town, South Africa
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Abramson JZ, Hernández-Lloreda MV, García L, Colmenares F, Aboitiz F, Call J. Imitation of novel conspecific and human speech sounds in the killer whale ( Orcinus orca). Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20172171. [PMID: 29386364 PMCID: PMC5805929 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocal imitation is a hallmark of human spoken language, which, along with other advanced cognitive skills, has fuelled the evolution of human culture. Comparative evidence has revealed that although the ability to copy sounds from conspecifics is mostly uniquely human among primates, a few distantly related taxa of birds and mammals have also independently evolved this capacity. Remarkably, field observations of killer whales have documented the existence of group-differentiated vocal dialects that are often referred to as traditions or cultures and are hypothesized to be acquired non-genetically. Here we use a do-as-I-do paradigm to study the abilities of a killer whale to imitate novel sounds uttered by conspecific (vocal imitative learning) and human models (vocal mimicry). We found that the subject made recognizable copies of all familiar and novel conspecific and human sounds tested and did so relatively quickly (most during the first 10 trials and three in the first attempt). Our results lend support to the hypothesis that the vocal variants observed in natural populations of this species can be socially learned by imitation. The capacity for vocal imitation shown in this study may scaffold the natural vocal traditions of killer whales in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Z Abramson
- Departamento de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Marcoleta 391, Santiago, Chile
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Pirámide 5750, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mª Victoria Hernández-Lloreda
- Departamento de Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Facultad de Psicología
- Grupo UCM de Psicobiología Social, Evolutiva y Comparada, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lino García
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Colmenares
- Grupo UCM de Psicobiología Social, Evolutiva y Comparada, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
- Dpto. Teoría de la Señal y Comunicaciones ETSIST, UPM, Spain
| | - Francisco Aboitiz
- Departamento de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Marcoleta 391, Santiago, Chile
| | - Josep Call
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9JP, UK
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Filatova OA, Samarra FI, Deecke VB, Ford J, Miller PJ, Yurk H. Cultural evolution of killer whale calls: background, mechanisms and consequences. BEHAVIOUR 2015. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Cultural evolution is a powerful process shaping behavioural phenotypes of many species including our own. Killer whales are one of the species with relatively well-studied vocal culture. Pods have distinct dialects comprising a mix of unique and shared call types; calves adopt the call repertoire of their matriline through social learning. We review different aspects of killer whale acoustic communication to provide insights into the cultural transmission and gene-culture co-evolution processes that produce the extreme diversity of group and population repertoires. We argue that the cultural evolution of killer whale calls is not a random process driven by steady error accumulation alone: temporal change occurs at different speeds in different components of killer whale repertoires, and constraints in call structure and horizontal transmission often degrade the phylogenetic signal. We discuss the implications from bird song and human linguistic studies, and propose several hypotheses of killer whale dialect evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga A. Filatova
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY168LB, Scotland
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Filipa I.P. Samarra
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY168LB, Scotland
- Marine Research Institute, Skulagata 4, 121 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Volker B. Deecke
- Centre for Wildlife Conservation, Lake District Campus, University of Cumbria, Rydal Road, Ambleside, Cumbria LA229BB, UK
| | - John K.B. Ford
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 3190 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, BC Canada V9T1K6
| | - Patrick J.O. Miller
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY168LB, Scotland
| | - Harald Yurk
- JASCO Research Ltd, 2305-4464 Markham Street, Victoria, BC, Canada V8Z7X8
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