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abstract: "In the human sciences, cultural evolution is often viewed as an autonomous process free of genetic influence. A question that follows is, If culture is not influenced by genes, can it take any path? Employing a simple mathematical model of cultural transmission in which individuals may copy each other's traits, we show that cultural evolution favors individuals who are weakly influenced by others and able to influence others. The model suggests that the cultural evolution of rules of cultural transmission tends to create populations that evolve rapidly toward conservatism, and that bias in cultural transmission may result purely from cultural dynamics. Freedom from genetic influence is not freedom to take any direction.\n"
altloc: []
chapter: ~
commentary: ~
commref: ~
confdates: ~
conference: ~
confloc: ~
contact_email: ~
creators_id: []
creators_name:
  - family: Ghirlanda
    given: Stefano
    honourific: ''
    lineage: ''
  - family: Enquist
    given: Magnus
    honourific: ''
    lineage: ''
  - family: Nakamaru
    given: Mayuko
    honourific: ''
    lineage: ''
date: 2006
date_type: published
datestamp: 2006-12-12
department: ~
dir: disk0/00/00/52/96
edit_lock_since: ~
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edit_lock_user: ~
editors_id: []
editors_name: []
eprint_status: archive
eprintid: 5296
fileinfo: /style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png;/5296/1/ghirlanda_enquist_nakamaru06.pdf
full_text_status: public
importid: ~
institution: ~
isbn: ~
ispublished: pub
issn: ~
item_issues_comment: []
item_issues_count: 0
item_issues_description: []
item_issues_id: []
item_issues_reported_by: []
item_issues_resolved_by: []
item_issues_status: []
item_issues_timestamp: []
item_issues_type: []
keywords: 'cultural evolution, personality changes, tabula rasa'
lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:56:43
latitude: ~
longitude: ~
metadata_visibility: show
note: ~
number: ~
pagerange: 1027-1034
pubdom: FALSE
publication: Current Anthropology
publisher: ~
refereed: TRUE
referencetext: ~
relation_type: []
relation_uri: []
reportno: ~
rev_number: 12
series: ~
source: ~
status_changed: 2007-09-12 17:08:50
subjects:
  - bio-socio
  - bio-evo
  - evol-psy
  - bio-theory
  - soc-psy
succeeds: ~
suggestions: I wonder whether you could consider a "cultural evolution" subject or similar...
sword_depositor: ~
sword_slug: ~
thesistype: ~
title: "Cultural evolution developing its own rules: The rise of conservatism and persuasion\n"
type: journalp
userid: 6801
volume: 47
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