1
|
Baker J, Rigaud S, Pereira D, Courtenay LA, d'Errico F. Evidence from personal ornaments suggest nine distinct cultural groups between 34,000 and 24,000 years ago in Europe. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:431-444. [PMID: 38287173 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01803-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Mechanisms governing the relationship between genetic and cultural evolution are the subject of debate, data analysis and modelling efforts. Here we present a new georeferenced dataset of personal ornaments worn by European hunter-gatherers during the so-called Gravettian technocomplex (34,000-24,000 years ago), analyse it with multivariate and geospatial statistics, model the impact of distance on cultural diversity and contrast the outcome of our analyses with up-to-date palaeogenetic data. We demonstrate that Gravettian ornament variability cannot be explained solely by isolation-by-distance. Analysis of Gravettian ornaments identified nine geographically discrete cultural entities across Europe. While broadly in agreement with palaeogenetic data, our results highlight a more complex pattern, with cultural entities located in areas not yet sampled by palaeogenetics and distinctive entities in regions inhabited by populations of similar genetic ancestry. Integrating personal ornament and biological data from other Palaeolithic cultures will elucidate the complex narrative of population dynamics of Upper Palaeolithic Europe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jack Baker
- CNRS UMR 5199 De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Solange Rigaud
- CNRS UMR 5199 De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Daniel Pereira
- CNRS UMR 5199 De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Lloyd A Courtenay
- CNRS UMR 5199 De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Francesco d'Errico
- CNRS UMR 5199 De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, et Anthropologie (PACEA), Université Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE), University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Carollo A, Stanzione AM, Fong S, Gabrieli G, Lee A, Esposito G. Culture and the assumptions about appearance and reality: a scientometric look at a century of research. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1140298. [PMID: 37780171 PMCID: PMC10540209 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1140298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction People represent the world in terms of two constructs: how something appears on the surface (appearance) and what it is underneath that surface (reality). Both constructs are central to various bodies of literature. What has not been done, however, is a systematic look at this collection of literature for overarching themes. Motivated by this research gap, the present scientometric review aimed to identify the common themes that penetrate through a century of scholarly work on appearance and reality. In doing so, this review also sketched a scientometric outline of the international network, pinpointing where the work was carried out. Methods With CiteSpace software, we computed an optimized document co-citation analysis with a sample of 4,771 documents (1929-2022), resulting in a network of 1,785 nodes. Results and discussion We identified impactful publications, summarized major intellectual movements, and identified five thematic clusters ("Perception of Counseling Services", "Appearance and Reality in Sociocultural Evolution," "Cultural Heritage and Identity," "Media and Culture," and "Cultural Identity"), all with theoretical and pragmatic implications which we discuss. A deeper look at these clusters reveals new empirical questions and promising directions for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Carollo
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Seraphina Fong
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Giulio Gabrieli
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Albert Lee
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wu B, Zhang H, Zhang M. Phylogenetic insight into the origin of tones. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230606. [PMID: 37403498 PMCID: PMC10320342 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The origin of tone, also known as tonogenesis, has long been a topic of great interest in language evolution and human cognition studies. Several linguistic studies of tonal languages have proposed various hypotheses that tonal origin may be related to different changes of phonological structures. However, such hypotheses have not been quantitatively tested in an evolutionary framework. Here, we conducted phylogenetic comparative analyses to assess the likelihood of different hypotheses of tonogenetic mechanisms across 106 Sino-Tibetan languages, of which approximately 70% are tonal. Our results showed that the presence of tones has a strong phylogenetic pattern and that Proto-Sino-Tibetan languages were most likely non-tonal. Our findings identified that tonal origin was strongly associated with the evolution of specific phonological structures, such as the loss of syllable-final consonants and voice quality on vowels. Furthermore, we found that tonal origin probably did not influence the diversification rates of Sino-Tibetan languages. These findings enabled us to better understand that tone arose as a compensatory mechanism for the structural organization and evolution of languages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Baihui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Hanzhi Zhang
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London WC1H 0BW, UK
| | - Menghan Zhang
- Institute of Modern Languages and Linguistics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
- Research Institute of Intelligent Complex Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
- Human Phenome Institute and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
|
5
|
Ranacher P, Neureiter N, van Gijn R, Sonnenhauser B, Escher A, Weibel R, Muysken P, Bickel B. Contact-tracing in cultural evolution: a Bayesian mixture model to detect geographic areas of language contact. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20201031. [PMID: 34376092 PMCID: PMC8355670 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.1031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
When speakers of different languages interact, they are likely to influence each other: contact leaves traces in the linguistic record, which in turn can reveal geographical areas of past human interaction and migration. However, other factors may contribute to similarities between languages. Inheritance from a shared ancestral language and universal preference for a linguistic property may both overshadow contact signals. How can we find geographical contact areas in language data, while accounting for the confounding effects of inheritance and universal preference? We present sBayes, an algorithm for Bayesian clustering in the presence of confounding effects. The algorithm learns which similarities are better explained by confounders, and which are due to contact effects. Contact areas are free to take any shape or size, but an explicit geographical prior ensures their spatial coherence. We test sBayes on simulated data and apply it in two case studies to reveal language contact in South America and the Balkans. Our results are supported by findings from previous studies. While we focus on detecting language contact, the method can also be used to uncover other traces of shared history in cultural evolution, and more generally, to reveal latent spatial clusters in the presence of confounders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Ranacher
- University Research Priority Program (URPP) Language and Space, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nico Neureiter
- University Research Priority Program (URPP) Language and Space, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rik van Gijn
- Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Barbara Sonnenhauser
- Department of Slavonic Languages and Literatures, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anastasia Escher
- Department of Slavonic Languages and Literatures, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robert Weibel
- University Research Priority Program (URPP) Language and Space, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pieter Muysken
- Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Balthasar Bickel
- University Research Priority Program (URPP) Language and Space, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Teixidor-Toneu I, Kool A, Greenhill SJ, Kjesrud K, Sandstedt JJ, Manzanilla V, Jordan FM. Historical, archaeological and linguistic evidence test the phylogenetic inference of Viking-Age plant use. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200086. [PMID: 33993763 PMCID: PMC8126462 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, past plant knowledge serves as a case study to highlight the promise and challenges of interdisciplinary data collection and interpretation in cultural evolution. Plants are central to human life and yet, apart from the role of major crops, people-plant relations have been marginal to the study of culture. Archaeological, linguistic, and historical evidence are often limited when it comes to studying the past role of plants. This is the case in the Nordic countries, where extensive collections of various plant use records are absent until the 1700s. Here, we test if relatively recent ethnobotanical data can be used to trace back ancient plant knowledge in the Nordic countries. Phylogenetic inferences of ancestral states are evaluated against historical, linguistic, and archaeobotanical evidence. The exercise allows us to discuss the opportunities and shortcomings of using phylogenetic comparative methods to study past botanical knowledge. We propose a 'triangulation method' that not only combines multiple lines of evidence, but also quantitative and qualitative approaches. This article is part of the theme issue 'Foundations of cultural evolution'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Teixidor-Toneu
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Sars' Gate 1, 0562 Oslo, Norway
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333CR Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Anneleen Kool
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Sars' Gate 1, 0562 Oslo, Norway
| | - Simon J. Greenhill
- Australian National University College of Arts and Social Sciences, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max-Planck-Institut fur Menschheitsgeschichte, 07745 Jena, Thüringen, Germany
| | - Karoline Kjesrud
- Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, St Olavs Gate 29, 0130 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jade J. Sandstedt
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Sars' Gate 1, 0562 Oslo, Norway
| | - Vincent Manzanilla
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Sars' Gate 1, 0562 Oslo, Norway
- BaseClear, Sylviusweg 74, 2333BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Fiona M. Jordan
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UU, UK
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lukas D, Towner M, Borgerhoff Mulder M. The potential to infer the historical pattern of cultural macroevolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200057. [PMID: 33993769 PMCID: PMC8126461 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic analyses increasingly take centre-stage in our understanding of the processes shaping patterns of cultural diversity and cultural evolution over time. Just as biologists explain the origins and maintenance of trait differences among organisms using phylogenetic methods, so anthropologists studying cultural macroevolutionary processes use phylogenetic methods to uncover the history of human populations and the dynamics of culturally transmitted traits. In this paper, we revisit concerns with the validity of these methods. Specifically, we use simulations to reveal how properties of the sample (size, missing data), properties of the tree (shape) and properties of the traits (rate of change, number of variants, transmission mode) might influence the inferences that can be drawn about trait distributions across a given phylogeny and the power to discern alternative histories. Our approach shows that in two example datasets specific combinations of properties of the sample, of the tree and of the trait can lead to potentially high rates of Type I and Type II errors. We offer this simulation tool to help assess the potential impact of this list of persistent perils in future cultural macroevolutionary work. This article is part of the theme issue 'Foundations of cultural evolution'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Lukas
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mary Towner
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Monique Borgerhoff Mulder
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Evans CL, Greenhill SJ, Watts J, List JM, Botero CA, Gray RD, Kirby KR. The uses and abuses of tree thinking in cultural evolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200056. [PMID: 33993767 PMCID: PMC8126464 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern phylogenetic methods are increasingly being used to address questions about macro-level patterns in cultural evolution. These methods can illuminate the unobservable histories of cultural traits and identify the evolutionary drivers of trait change over time, but their application is not without pitfalls. Here, we outline the current scope of research in cultural tree thinking, highlighting a toolkit of best practices to navigate and avoid the pitfalls and 'abuses' associated with their application. We emphasize two principles that support the appropriate application of phylogenetic methodologies in cross-cultural research: researchers should (1) draw on multiple lines of evidence when deciding if and which types of phylogenetic methods and models are suitable for their cross-cultural data, and (2) carefully consider how different cultural traits might have different evolutionary histories across space and time. When used appropriately phylogenetic methods can provide powerful insights into the processes of evolutionary change that have shaped the broad patterns of human history. This article is part of the theme issue 'Foundations of cultural evolution'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cara L. Evans
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Simon J. Greenhill
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07745, Germany
- ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra 2700, Australia
| | - Joseph Watts
- Religion Programme, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- Centre for Research on Evolution, Belief and Behaviour, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Johann-Mattis List
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Carlos A. Botero
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Russell D. Gray
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07745, Germany
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Kathryn R. Kirby
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07745, Germany
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3B2
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Matsumae H, Ranacher P, Savage PE, Blasi DE, Currie TE, Koganebuchi K, Nishida N, Sato T, Tanabe H, Tajima A, Brown S, Stoneking M, Shimizu KK, Oota H, Bickel B. Exploring correlations in genetic and cultural variation across language families in northeast Asia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabd9223. [PMID: 34407936 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd9223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Culture evolves in ways that are analogous to, but distinct from, genomes. Previous studies examined similarities between cultural variation and genetic variation (population history) at small scales within language families, but few studies have empirically investigated these parallels across language families using diverse cultural data. We report an analysis comparing culture and genomes from in and around northeast Asia spanning 11 language families. We extract and summarize the variation in language (grammar, phonology, lexicon), music (song structure, performance style), and genomes (genome-wide SNPs) and test for correlations. We find that grammatical structure correlates with population history (genetic history). Recent contact and shared descent fail to explain the signal, suggesting relationships that arose before the formation of current families. Our results suggest that grammar might be a cultural indicator of population history while also demonstrating differences among cultural and genetic relationships that highlight the complex nature of human history.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiromi Matsumae
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, 641-12 Maioka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-0813, Japan
| | - Peter Ranacher
- Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
- URPP Language and Space, University of Zurich, Freiestrasse 16, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick E Savage
- Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Shonan Fujisawa Campus, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan.
- Department of Musicology, Tokyo University of the Arts, 110-8714 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Damián E Blasi
- Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zurich, Plattenstrasse 54, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Peabody Museum, 5th Floor, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Linguistic Convergence Laboratory, School of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Higher School of Economics University, 21/4 Staraya Basmannaya Ulitsa, Building 5, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Human Relations Area Files, 755 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Thomas E Currie
- Human Behaviour & Cultural Evolution Group, Centre for Ecology & Conservation, Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Kae Koganebuchi
- Kitasato University Graduate School of Medical Science, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0374, Japan
| | - Nao Nishida
- Genome Medical Science Project, Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba 272-8516, Japan
| | - Takehiro Sato
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, Graduate School of Advanced Preventive Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Tanabe
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, School of Advanced Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Shonan Village, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
| | - Atsushi Tajima
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, Graduate School of Advanced Preventive Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Steven Brown
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Mark Stoneking
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kentaro K Shimizu
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, 641-12 Maioka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-0813, Japan
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), Plattenstrasse 54, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hiroki Oota
- Kitasato University Graduate School of Medical Science, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0374, Japan.
- Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0374, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Balthasar Bickel
- Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zurich, Plattenstrasse 54, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), Plattenstrasse 54, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
Abstract
Collapse
|
11
|
Sheard C, Bowern C, Dockum R, Jordan FM. Pama-Nyungan grandparent systems change with grandchildren, but not cross-cousin terms or social norms. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2020; 2:e30. [PMID: 35663513 PMCID: PMC7612801 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2020.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Kinship is a fundamental and universal aspect of the structure of human society. The kinship category of 'grandparents' is socially salient, due to grandparents' investment in the care of the grandchildren as well as to older generations' control of wealth and cultural knowledge, but the evolutionary dynamics of grandparent terms has yet to be studied in a phylogenetically explicit context. Here, we present the first phylogenetic comparative study of grandparent terms by investigating 134 languages in Pama-Nyungan, an Australian family of hunter-gatherer languages. We infer that proto-Pama-Nyungan had, with high certainty, four separate terms for grandparents. This state then shifted into either a two-term system that distinguishes the genders of the grandparents or a three-term system that merges the 'parallel' grandparents, which could then transition into a different three-term system that merges the 'cross' grandparents. We find no support for the co-evolution of these systems with either community marriage organisation or post-marital residence. We find some evidence for the correlation of grandparent and grandchild terms, but no support for the correlation of grandparent and cross-cousin terms, suggesting that grandparents and grandchildren potentially form a single lexical category but that the entire kinship system does not necessarily change synchronously.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Sheard
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, BristolBS8 1TQ, UK
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol, BristolBS8 1UU, UK
| | - Claire Bowern
- Department of Linguistics, Yale University, New Haven. CT06520, USA
| | - Rikker Dockum
- Department of Linguistics, Yale University, New Haven. CT06520, USA
| | - Fiona M. Jordan
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol, BristolBS8 1UU, UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bender A. The Value of Diversity in Cognitive Science. Top Cogn Sci 2019; 11:853-863. [DOI: 10.1111/tops.12464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bender
- Department of Psychosocial Science & SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE) University of Bergen
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Stout D, Rogers MJ, Jaeggi AV, Semaw S. Archaeology and the Origins of Human Cumulative Culture: A Case Study from the Earliest Oldowan at Gona, Ethiopia. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1086/703173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
|
14
|
The natural selection of words: Finding the features of fitness. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211512. [PMID: 30689665 PMCID: PMC6349325 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We introduce a dataset for studying the evolution of words, constructed from WordNet and the Google Books Ngram Corpus. The dataset tracks the evolution of 4,000 synonym sets (synsets), containing 9,000 English words, from 1800 AD to 2000 AD. We present a supervised learning algorithm that is able to predict the future leader of a synset: the word in the synset that will have the highest frequency. The algorithm uses features based on a word’s length, the characters in the word, and the historical frequencies of the word. It can predict change of leadership (including the identity of the new leader) fifty years in the future, with an F-score considerably above random guessing. Analysis of the learned models provides insight into the causes of change in the leader of a synset. The algorithm confirms observations linguists have made, such as the trend to replace the -ise suffix with -ize, the rivalry between the -ity and -ness suffixes, and the struggle between economy (shorter words are easier to remember and to write) and clarity (longer words are more distinctive and less likely to be confused with one another). The results indicate that integration of the Google Books Ngram Corpus with WordNet has significant potential for improving our understanding of how language evolves.
Collapse
|
15
|
Buskell A. Looking for middle ground in cultural attraction theory. Evol Anthropol 2019; 28:14-17. [PMID: 30663170 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In their article, Thom Scott-Phillips, Stefaan Blancke, and Christophe Heintz do a commendable job summarizing the position and misunderstandings of "cultural attraction theory" (CAT). However, they do not address a longstanding problem for the CAT framework; that while it has an encompassing theory and some well-worked out case studies, it lacks tools for generating models or empirical hypotheses of intermediate generality. I suggest that what the authors diagnose as misunderstandings are instead superficial interpretive errors, resulting from researchers who have attempted to extract generalizable hypotheses from CAT and bring them into contact with the analytical and inferential models of contemporary cultural evolutionary research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Buskell
- Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Teixidor-Toneu I, Jordan FM, Hawkins JA. Comparative phylogenetic methods and the cultural evolution of medicinal plant use. NATURE PLANTS 2018; 4:754-761. [PMID: 30202108 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-018-0226-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Human life depends on plant biodiversity and the ways in which plants are used are culturally determined. Whilst anthropologists have used phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs) to gain an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the evolution of political, religious, social and material culture, plant use has been almost entirely neglected. Medicinal plants are of special interest because of their role in maintaining people's health across the world. PCMs in particular, and cultural evolutionary theory in general, provide a framework in which to study the diversity of medicinal plant applications cross-culturally, and to infer changes in plant use over time. These methods can be applied to single medicinal plants as well as the entire set of plants used by a culture for medicine, and they account for the non-independence of data when testing for floristic, cultural or other drivers of plant use. With cultural, biological and linguistic diversity under threat, gaining a deeper and broader understanding of the variation of medicinal plant use through time and space is pressing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Teixidor-Toneu
- University of Reading, School of Biological Sciences, Reading, Berkshire, UK
- Universitetet i Oslo, Naturhistorisk Museum, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fiona M Jordan
- University of Bristol, Department of Anthropology & Archaeology, Bristol, UK
| | - Julie A Hawkins
- University of Reading, School of Biological Sciences, Reading, Berkshire, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kolodny O, Feldman MW, Creanza N. Integrative studies of cultural evolution: crossing disciplinary boundaries to produce new insights. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170048. [PMID: 29440515 PMCID: PMC5812962 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Culture evolves according to dynamics on multiple temporal scales, from individuals' minute-by-minute behaviour to millennia of cultural accumulation that give rise to population-level differences. These dynamics act on a range of entities-including behavioural sequences, ideas and artefacts as well as individuals, populations and whole species-and involve mechanisms at multiple levels, from neurons in brains to inter-population interactions. Studying such complex phenomena requires an integration of perspectives from a diverse array of fields, as well as bridging gaps between traditionally disparate areas of study. In this article, which also serves as an introduction to the current special issue, we highlight some specific respects in which the study of cultural evolution has benefited and should continue to benefit from an integrative approach. We showcase a number of pioneering studies of cultural evolution that bring together numerous disciplines. These studies illustrate the value of perspectives from different fields for understanding cultural evolution, such as cognitive science and neuroanatomy, behavioural ecology, population dynamics, and evolutionary genetics. They also underscore the importance of understanding cultural processes when interpreting research about human genetics, neuroscience, behaviour and evolution.This article is part of the theme issue 'Bridging cultural gaps: interdisciplinary studies in human cultural evolution'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oren Kolodny
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Nicole Creanza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Talas L, Baddeley RJ, Cuthill IC. Cultural evolution of military camouflage. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0351. [PMID: 28533466 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While one has evolved and the other been consciously created, animal and military camouflage are expected to show many similar design principles. Using a unique database of calibrated photographs of camouflage uniform patterns, processed using texture and colour analysis methods from computer vision, we show that the parallels with biology are deeper than design for effective concealment. Using two case studies we show that, like many animal colour patterns, military camouflage can serve multiple functions. Following the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, countries that became more Western-facing in political terms converged on NATO patterns in camouflage texture and colour. Following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, the resulting states diverged in design, becoming more similar to neighbouring countries than the ancestral design. None of these insights would have been obtained using extant military approaches to camouflage design, which focus solely on concealment. Moreover, our computational techniques for quantifying pattern offer new tools for comparative biologists studying animal coloration.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laszlo Talas
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK .,School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, 12A Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TN, UK
| | - Roland J Baddeley
- School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, 12A Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TN, UK
| | - Innes C Cuthill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Creanza N, Kolodny O, Feldman MW. Cultural evolutionary theory: How culture evolves and why it matters. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:7782-7789. [PMID: 28739941 PMCID: PMC5544263 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620732114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cultural traits-behaviors, ideas, and technologies that can be learned from other individuals-can exhibit complex patterns of transmission and evolution, and researchers have developed theoretical models, both verbal and mathematical, to facilitate our understanding of these patterns. Many of the first quantitative models of cultural evolution were modified from existing concepts in theoretical population genetics because cultural evolution has many parallels with, as well as clear differences from, genetic evolution. Furthermore, cultural and genetic evolution can interact with one another and influence both transmission and selection. This interaction requires theoretical treatments of gene-culture coevolution and dual inheritance, in addition to purely cultural evolution. In addition, cultural evolutionary theory is a natural component of studies in demography, human ecology, and many other disciplines. Here, we review the core concepts in cultural evolutionary theory as they pertain to the extension of biology through culture, focusing on cultural evolutionary applications in population genetics, ecology, and demography. For each of these disciplines, we review the theoretical literature and highlight relevant empirical studies. We also discuss the societal implications of the study of cultural evolution and of the interactions of humans with one another and with their environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Creanza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| | - Oren Kolodny
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Abstract
Evolutionary thinking can be applied to both cultural microevolution and macroevolution. However, much of the current literature focuses on cultural microevolution. In this article, we argue that the growing availability of large cross-cultural datasets facilitates the use of computational methods derived from evolutionary biology to answer broad-scale questions about the major transitions in human social organization. Biological methods can be extended to human cultural evolution. We illustrate this argument with examples drawn from our recent work on the roles of Big Gods and ritual human sacrifice in the evolution of large, stratified societies. These analyses show that, although the presence of Big Gods is correlated with the evolution of political complexity, in Austronesian cultures at least, they do not play a causal role in ratcheting up political complexity. In contrast, ritual human sacrifice does play a causal role in promoting and sustaining the evolution of stratified societies by maintaining and legitimizing the power of elites. We briefly discuss some common objections to the application of phylogenetic modeling to cultural evolution and argue that the use of these methods does not require a commitment to either gene-like cultural inheritance or to the view that cultures are like vertebrate species. We conclude that the careful application of these methods can substantially enhance the prospects of an evolutionary science of human history.
Collapse
|
21
|
Abstract
Scenarios summarize evolutionary patterns and processes by interpreting organismal traits and their natural history correlates in a phylogenetic context. They are constructed by (1) describing phenotypes (including physiology and behavior), ideally with attention to formative roles of development, experience, and culture; (2) inferring homologies, homoplasies, ancestral character states, and their transformations with phylogenetic analyses; and (3) integrating those components with ecological and other ancillary data. At their best, evolutionary scenarios are factually dense narratives that entail no known falsehoods; their empirical and methodological shortcomings are transparent, they might be rejected based on new discoveries, and their potential ideological pitfalls are flagged for scrutiny. They are exemplified here by homoplastic foraging with percussive tools by humans, chimpanzees, capuchins, and macaques; homoplastic hunting with spears by humans and chimpanzees; and private experiences (e.g., sense of fairness, grief) among diverse animals, the homologous or homoplastic status of which often remains unexplored. Although scenarios are problematic when used to bolster political agendas, if constructed carefully and regarded skeptically, they can synthesize knowledge, inspire research, engender public understanding of evolution, enrich ethical debates, and provide a deeper historical context for conservation, including nature appreciation.
Collapse
|
22
|
Ross CT, Strimling P, Ericksen KP, Lindenfors P, Mulder MB. The Origins and Maintenance of Female Genital Modification across Africa : Bayesian Phylogenetic Modeling of Cultural Evolution under the Influence of Selection. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2017; 27:173-200. [PMID: 26846688 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-015-9244-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
We present formal evolutionary models for the origins and persistence of the practice of Female Genital Modification (FGMo). We then test the implications of these models using normative cross-cultural data on FGMo in Africa and Bayesian phylogenetic methods that explicitly model adaptive evolution. Empirical evidence provides some support for the findings of our evolutionary models that the de novo origins of the FGMo practice should be associated with social stratification, and that social stratification should place selective pressures on the adoption of FGMo; these results, however, are tempered by the finding that FGMo has arisen in many cultures that have no social stratification, and that forces operating orthogonally to stratification appear to play a more important role in the cross-cultural distribution of FGMo. To explain these cases, one must consider cultural evolutionary explanations in conjunction with behavioral ecological ones. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our study for policies designed to end the practice of FGMo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cody T Ross
- Behavioral Sciences Program, Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Pontus Strimling
- Centre for Studies of Cultural Evolution, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Patrik Lindenfors
- Centre for Studies of Cultural Evolution, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Ross RM, Atkinson QD. Folktale transmission in the Arctic provides evidence for high bandwidth social learning among hunter–gatherer groups. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2015.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
24
|
Kressing F. Lateral and Vertical Transfer in Biology, Linguistics and Anthropology: An Account of Widely Neglected Ideas in the Formation of Evolutionary Theories. Evol Biol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-015-9330-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
25
|
Abstract
Linguists have long identified sound changes that occur in parallel. Now novel research shows how Bayesian modeling can capture complex concerted changes, revealing how evolution of sounds proceeds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Bowern
- Department of Linguistics, 370 Temple St, Rm 313, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Currie TE, Mace R. Evolution of cultural traits occurs at similar relative rates in different world regions. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20141622. [PMID: 25297866 PMCID: PMC4213619 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental issue in understanding human diversity is whether or not there are regular patterns and processes involved in cultural change. Theoretical and mathematical models of cultural evolution have been developed and are increasingly being used and assessed in empirical analyses. Here, we test the hypothesis that the rates of change of features of human socio-cultural organization are governed by general rules. One prediction of this hypothesis is that different cultural traits will tend to evolve at similar relative rates in different world regions, despite the unique historical backgrounds of groups inhabiting these regions. We used phylogenetic comparative methods and systematic cross-cultural data to assess how different socio-cultural traits changed in (i) island southeast Asia and the Pacific, and (ii) sub-Saharan Africa. The relative rates of change in these two regions are significantly correlated. Furthermore, cultural traits that are more directly related to external environmental conditions evolve more slowly than traits related to social structures. This is consistent with the idea that a form of purifying selection is acting with greater strength on these more environmentally linked traits. These results suggest that despite contingent historical events and the role of humans as active agents in the historical process, culture does indeed evolve in ways that can be predicted from general principles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Currie
- Department of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton St., London WC1H 0BH, UK
| | - Ruth Mace
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton St., London WC1H 0BH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
|
28
|
Current advances in molecular phylogenetics. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:596746. [PMID: 24809056 PMCID: PMC3997973 DOI: 10.1155/2014/596746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2013] [Accepted: 12/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
|
29
|
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Güldemann
- Humboldt University Berlin / Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Chabot-Hanowell B, Smith EA. 5 Territorial and Nonterritorial Routes to Power: Reconciling Evolutionary Ecological, Social Agency, and Historicist Approaches. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/apaa.12004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
31
|
O’Brien MJ, Collard M, Buchanan B, Boulanger MT. Trees, thickets, or something in between? Recent theoretical and empirical work in cultural phylogeny. Isr J Ecol Evol 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/15659801.2013.825431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Anthropology has always had as one of its goals the explanation of human cultural diversity across space and through time. Over the past several decades, there has been a growing appreciation among anthropologists and other social scientists that the phylogenetic approaches that biologists have developed to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships of species are useful tools for building and explaining patterns of human diversity. Phylogenetic methods offer a means of creating testable propositions of heritable continuity – how one thing is related to another in terms of descent. Such methods have now been applied to a wide range of cultural phenomena, including languages, projectile points, textiles, marital customs, and political organization. Here we discuss several cultural phylogenies and demonstrate how they were used to address long-standing anthropological issues. Even keeping in mind that phylogenetic trees are nothing more than hypotheses about evolutionary relationships, some researchers have argued that when it comes to cultural behaviors and their products, tree building is theoretically unwarranted. We examine the issues that critics raise and find that they in no way sound the death knell for cultural phylogenetic work.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark Collard
- Human Evolutionary Studies Program and Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University
| | - Briggs Buchanan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri
- Human Evolutionary Studies Program and Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University
| | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Abstract
Languages evolve over space and time. Illuminating the evolutionary history of language is important because it provides a unique opportunity to shed light on the population history of the speakers. Spatial and temporal aspects of language evolution are particularly crucial for understanding demographic history, as they allow us to identify when and where the languages originated, as well as how they spread across the globe. Here we apply Bayesian phylogeographic methods to reconstruct spatiotemporal evolution of the Ainu language: an endangered language spoken by an indigenous group that once thrived in northern Japan. The conventional dual-structure model has long argued that modern Ainu are direct descendants of a single, Pleistocene human lineage from Southeast Asia, namely the Jomon people. In contrast, recent evidence from archaeological, anthropological and genetic evidence suggest that the Ainu are an outcome of significant genetic and cultural contributions from Siberian hunter-gatherers, the Okhotsk, who migrated into northern Hokkaido around 900-1600 years ago. Estimating from 19 Ainu language varieties preserved five decades ago, our analysis shows that they are descendants of a common ancestor who spread from northern Hokkaido around 1300 years ago. In addition to several lines of emerging evidence, our phylogeographic analysis strongly supports the hypothesis that recent expansion of the Okhotsk to northern Hokkaido had a profound impact on the origins of the Ainu people and their culture, and hence calls for a refinement to the dual-structure model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sean Lee
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Ross RM, Greenhill SJ, Atkinson QD. Population structure and cultural geography of a folktale in Europe. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20123065. [PMID: 23390109 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.3065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite a burgeoning science of cultural evolution, relatively little work has focused on the population structure of human cultural variation. By contrast, studies in human population genetics use a suite of tools to quantify and analyse spatial and temporal patterns of genetic variation within and between populations. Human genetic diversity can be explained largely as a result of migration and drift giving rise to gradual genetic clines, together with some discontinuities arising from geographical and cultural barriers to gene flow. Here, we adapt theory and methods from population genetics to quantify the influence of geography and ethnolinguistic boundaries on the distribution of 700 variants of a folktale in 31 European ethnolinguistic populations. We find that geographical distance and ethnolinguistic affiliation exert significant independent effects on folktale diversity and that variation between populations supports a clustering concordant with European geography. This pattern of geographical clines and clusters parallels the pattern of human genetic diversity in Europe, although the effects of geographical distance and ethnolinguistic boundaries are stronger for folktales than genes. Our findings highlight the importance of geography and population boundaries in models of human cultural variation and point to key similarities and differences between evolutionary processes operating on human genes and culture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Ross
- Department of Cognitive Science, ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Towner MC, Grote MN, Venti J, Borgerhoff Mulder M. Cultural macroevolution on neighbor graphs : vertical and horizontal transmission among Western North American Indian societies. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2013; 23:283-305. [PMID: 22791406 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-012-9142-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
What are the driving forces of cultural macroevolution, the evolution of cultural traits that characterize societies or populations? This question has engaged anthropologists for more than a century, with little consensus regarding the answer. We develop and fit autologistic models, built upon both spatial and linguistic neighbor graphs, for 44 cultural traits of 172 societies in the Western North American Indian (WNAI) database. For each trait, we compare models including or excluding one or both neighbor graphs, and for the majority of traits we find strong evidence in favor of a model which uses both spatial and linguistic neighbors to predict a trait's distribution. Our results run counter to the assertion that cultural trait distributions can be explained largely by the transmission of traits from parent to daughter populations and are thus best analyzed with phylogenies. In contrast, we show that vertical and horizontal transmission pathways can be incorporated in a single model, that both transmission modes may indeed operate on the same trait, and that for most traits in the WNAI database, accounting for only one mode of transmission would result in a loss of information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary C Towner
- Department of Zoology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, 74078, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Buckley CD. Investigating cultural evolution using phylogenetic analysis: the origins and descent of the southeast Asian tradition of warp ikat weaving. PLoS One 2012; 7:e52064. [PMID: 23272211 PMCID: PMC3525544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2012] [Accepted: 11/08/2012] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The warp ikat method of making decorated textiles is one of the most geographically widespread in southeast Asia, being used by Austronesian peoples in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, and Daic peoples on the Asian mainland. In this study a dataset consisting of the decorative characters of 36 of these warp ikat weaving traditions is investigated using Bayesian and Neighbornet techniques, and the results are used to construct a phylogenetic tree and taxonomy for warp ikat weaving in southeast Asia. The results and analysis show that these diverse traditions have a common ancestor amongst neolithic cultures the Asian mainland, and parallels exist between the patterns of textile weaving descent and linguistic phylogeny for the Austronesian group. Ancestral state analysis is used to reconstruct some of the features of the ancestral weaving tradition. The widely held theory that weaving motifs originated in the late Bronze Age Dong-Son culture is shown to be inconsistent with the data.
Collapse
|
36
|
Abstract
Recent work which combines methods from linguistics and evolutionary biology has been fruitful in discovering the history of major language families because of similarities in evolutionary processes. Such work opens up new possibilities for language research on previously unsolvable problems, especially in areas where information from other sources may be lacking. I use phylogenetic methods to investigate Tasmanian languages. Existing materials are so fragmentary that scholars have been unable to discover how many languages are represented in the sources. Using a clustering algorithm which identifies admixture, source materials representing more than one language are identified. Using the Neighbor-Net algorithm, 12 languages are identified in five clusters. Bayesian phylogenetic methods reveal that the families are not demonstrably related; an important result, given the importance of Tasmanian Aborigines for information about how societies have responded to population collapse in prehistory. This work provides insight into the societies of prehistoric Tasmania and illustrates a new utility of phylogenetics in reconstructing linguistic history.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Bowern
- Department of Linguistics, Yale University, 370 Temple Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Abstract
Evolutionary models of cultural change have acquired an important role in attempts to explain the course of human evolution, especially our specialization in knowledge-gathering and intelligent control of environments. In both biological and cultural change, different patterns of explanation become relevant at different 'grains' of analysis and in contexts associated with different explanatory targets. Existing treatments of the evolutionary approach to culture, both positive and negative, underestimate the importance of these distinctions. Close attention to grain of analysis motivates distinctions between three possible modes of cultural evolution, each associated with different empirical assumptions and explanatory roles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Godfrey-Smith
- Philosophy Program, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Walker RS, Wichmann S, Mailund T, Atkisson CJ. Cultural phylogenetics of the Tupi language family in lowland South America. PLoS One 2012; 7:e35025. [PMID: 22506065 PMCID: PMC3323632 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2011] [Accepted: 03/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent advances in automated assessment of basic vocabulary lists allow the construction of linguistic phylogenies useful for tracing dynamics of human population expansions, reconstructing ancestral cultures, and modeling transition rates of cultural traits over time. METHODS Here we investigate the Tupi expansion, a widely-dispersed language family in lowland South America, with a distance-based phylogeny based on 40-word vocabulary lists from 48 languages. We coded 11 cultural traits across the diverse Tupi family including traditional warfare patterns, post-marital residence, corporate structure, community size, paternity beliefs, sibling terminology, presence of canoes, tattooing, shamanism, men's houses, and lip plugs. RESULTS/DISCUSSION The linguistic phylogeny supports a Tupi homeland in west-central Brazil with subsequent major expansions across much of lowland South America. Consistently, ancestral reconstructions of cultural traits over the linguistic phylogeny suggest that social complexity has tended to decline through time, most notably in the independent emergence of several nomadic hunter-gatherer societies. Estimated rates of cultural change across the Tupi expansion are on the order of only a few changes per 10,000 years, in accord with previous cultural phylogenetic results in other language families around the world, and indicate a conservative nature to much of human culture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert S Walker
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Social Organization of Crop Genetic Diversity. The G × E × S Interaction Model. DIVERSITY-BASEL 2011. [DOI: 10.3390/d4010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
40
|
|
41
|
Gray RD, Atkinson QD, Greenhill SJ. Language evolution and human history: what a difference a date makes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2011; 366:1090-100. [PMID: 21357231 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Historical inference is at its most powerful when independent lines of evidence can be integrated into a coherent account. Dating linguistic and cultural lineages can potentially play a vital role in the integration of evidence from linguistics, anthropology, archaeology and genetics. Unfortunately, although the comparative method in historical linguistics can provide a relative chronology, it cannot provide absolute date estimates and an alternative approach, called glottochronology, is fundamentally flawed. In this paper we outline how computational phylogenetic methods can reliably estimate language divergence dates and thus help resolve long-standing debates about human prehistory ranging from the origin of the Indo-European language family to the peopling of the Pacific.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Russell D Gray
- Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Matthews LJ, Tehrani JJ, Jordan FM, Collard M, Nunn CL. Testing for divergent transmission histories among cultural characters: a study using Bayesian phylogenetic methods and Iranian tribal textile data. PLoS One 2011; 6:e14810. [PMID: 21559083 PMCID: PMC3084691 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2010] [Accepted: 03/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Archaeologists and anthropologists have long recognized that different cultural complexes may have distinct descent histories, but they have lacked analytical techniques capable of easily identifying such incongruence. Here, we show how bayesian phylogenetic analysis can be used to identify incongruent cultural histories. We employ the approach to investigate Iranian tribal textile traditions. METHODS We used bayes factor comparisons in a phylogenetic framework to test two models of cultural evolution: the hierarchically integrated system hypothesis and the multiple coherent units hypothesis. In the hierarchically integrated system hypothesis, a core tradition of characters evolves through descent with modification and characters peripheral to the core are exchanged among contemporaneous populations. In the multiple coherent units hypothesis, a core tradition does not exist. Rather, there are several cultural units consisting of sets of characters that have different histories of descent. RESULTS For the Iranian textiles, the bayesian phylogenetic analyses supported the multiple coherent units hypothesis over the hierarchically integrated system hypothesis. Our analyses suggest that pile-weave designs represent a distinct cultural unit that has a different phylogenetic history compared to other textile characters. CONCLUSIONS The results from the Iranian textiles are consistent with the available ethnographic evidence, which suggests that the commercial rug market has influenced pile-rug designs but not the techniques or designs incorporated in the other textiles produced by the tribes. We anticipate that bayesian phylogenetic tests for inferring cultural units will be of great value for researchers interested in studying the evolution of cultural traits including language, behavior, and material culture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luke J Matthews
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Jordan FM. A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Evolution of Austronesian Sibling Terminologies. Hum Biol 2011; 83:297-321. [DOI: 10.3378/027.083.0209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
|
44
|
Currie TE, Greenhill SJ, Mace R. Is horizontal transmission really a problem for phylogenetic comparative methods? A simulation study using continuous cultural traits. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2011; 365:3903-12. [PMID: 21041214 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs) provide a potentially powerful toolkit for testing hypotheses about cultural evolution. Here, we build on previous simulation work to assess the effect horizontal transmission between cultures has on the ability of both phylogenetic and non-phylogenetic methods to make inferences about trait evolution. We found that the mode of horizontal transmission of traits has important consequences for both methods. Where traits were horizontally transmitted separately, PCMs accurately reported when trait evolution was not correlated even at the highest levels of horizontal transmission. By contrast, linear regression analyses often incorrectly concluded that traits were correlated. Where simulated trait evolution was not correlated and traits were horizontally transmitted as a pair, both methods inferred increased levels of positive correlation with increasing horizontal transmission. Where simulated trait evolution was correlated, increasing rates of separate horizontal transmission led to decreasing levels of inferred correlation for both methods, but increasing rates of paired horizontal transmission did not. Furthermore, the PCM was also able to make accurate inferences about the ancestral state of traits. These results suggest that under certain conditions, PCMs can be robust to the effects of horizontal transmission. We discuss ways that future work can investigate the mode and tempo of horizontal transmission of cultural traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Currie
- Human Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Anthropology, University College London, London WC1H 0BW, UK.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Cochrane EE, Lipo CP. Phylogenetic analyses of Lapita decoration do not support branching evolution or regional population structure during colonization of Remote Oceania. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2011; 365:3889-902. [PMID: 21041213 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Intricately decorated Lapita pottery (3100-2700 BP) was made and deposited by the prehistoric colonizers of Pacific islands, east of the main Solomon's chain. For decades, analyses of this pottery have focused on the ancestor-descendant relationships of populations and the relative degree of interaction across the region to explain similarities in Lapita decoration. Cladistic analyses, increasingly used to examine the evolutionary relationships of material culture assemblages, have not been conducted on Lapita artefacts. Here, we present the first cladistic analysis of Lapita pottery and note the difficulties in using cladistics to investigate datasets where a high degree of horizontal transmission and non-branching evolution may explain observed variation. We additionally present NeighborNet and phenetic distance network analyses to generate hypotheses that may account for Lapita decorative similarity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ethan E Cochrane
- International Archaeological Research Institute, 2081 Young Street, Honolulu, HI 96826, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Bowern C. Historical linguistics in Australia: trees, networks and their implications. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2011; 365:3845-54. [PMID: 21041209 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper presents an overview of the current state of historical linguistics in Australian languages. Australian languages have been important in theoretical debates about the nature of language change and the possibilities for reconstruction and classification in areas of intensive diffusion. Here are summarized the most important outstanding questions for Australian linguistic prehistory; I also present a case study of the Karnic subgroup of Pama-Nyungan, which illustrates the problems for classification in Australian languages and potential approaches using phylogenetic methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Bowern
- Department of Linguistics, 370 Temple Street, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Mace R, Jordan FM. Macro-evolutionary studies of cultural diversity: a review of empirical studies of cultural transmission and cultural adaptation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2011; 366:402-11. [PMID: 21199844 PMCID: PMC3013475 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of theoretical and empirical research has examined cultural transmission and adaptive cultural behaviour at the individual, within-group level. However, relatively few studies have tried to examine proximate transmission or test ultimate adaptive hypotheses about behavioural or cultural diversity at a between-societies macro-level. In both the history of anthropology and in present-day work, a common approach to examining adaptive behaviour at the macro-level has been through correlating various cultural traits with features of ecology. We discuss some difficulties with simple ecological associations, and then review cultural phylogenetic studies that have attempted to go beyond correlations to understand the underlying cultural evolutionary processes. We conclude with an example of a phylogenetically controlled approach to understanding proximate transmission pathways in Austronesian cultural diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Mace
- Department of Anthropology, UCL , 14 Taviton Street, London WC1H 0BW, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Jordan P, O'Neill S. Untangling cultural inheritance: language diversity and long-house architecture on the Pacific northwest coast. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2010; 365:3875-88. [PMID: 21041212 PMCID: PMC2981916 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Many recent studies of cultural inheritance have focused on small-scale craft traditions practised by single individuals, which do not require coordinated participation by larger social collectives. In this paper, we address this gap in the cultural transmission literature by investigating diversity in the vernacular architecture of the Pacific northwest coast, where communities of hunter-fisher-gatherers constructed immense wooden long-houses at their main winter villages. Quantitative analyses of long-house styles along the coastline draw on a range of models and methods from the biological sciences and are employed to test hypotheses relating to basic patterns of macro-scale cultural diversification, and the degree to which the transmission of housing traits has been constrained by the region's numerous linguistic boundaries. The results indicate relatively strong branching patterns of cultural inheritance and also close associations between regional language history and housing styles, pointing to the potentially crucial role played by language boundaries in structuring large-scale patterns of cultural diversification, especially in relation to 'collective' cultural traditions like housing that require substantial inputs of coordinated labour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Jordan
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, St Mary's Building, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK
- AHRC Centre for the Evolution of Cultural Diversity, Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31–34 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PY, UK
| | - Sean O'Neill
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, St Mary's Building, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK
- AHRC Centre for the Evolution of Cultural Diversity, Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31–34 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PY, UK
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Tehrani JJ, Collard M, Shennan SJ. The cophylogeny of populations and cultures: reconstructing the evolution of Iranian tribal craft traditions using trees and jungles. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2010; 365:3865-74. [PMID: 21041211 PMCID: PMC2981911 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic approaches to culture have shed new light on the role played by population dispersals in the spread and diversification of cultural traditions. However, the fact that cultural inheritance is based on separate mechanisms from genetic inheritance means that socially transmitted traditions have the potential to diverge from population histories. Here, we suggest that associations between these two systems can be reconstructed using techniques developed to study cospeciation between hosts and parasites and related problems in biology. Relationships among the latter are patterned by four main processes: co-divergence, intra-host speciation (duplication), intra-host extinction (sorting) and horizontal transfers. We show that patterns of cultural inheritance are structured by analogous processes, and then demonstrate the applicability of the host-parasite model to culture using empirical data on Iranian tribal populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jamshid J Tehrani
- Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group, Department of Anthropology, Science Site, South Road, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Abstract
AbstractExplanations in the domain of kinship can be sought on several different levels: Jones addresses online processing, as well as issues of origins and innateness. We argue that his framework can more usefully be applied at the levels of developmental and historical change, the latter especially. A phylogenetic approach to the diversity of kinship terminologies is most urgently required.
Collapse
|