Experimental models for testing hypotheses about cumulative cultural evolution
Experimental models for testing hypotheses about cumulative cultural evolution
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DOI：
10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.12.001
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发表时间：
2008-05-01
影响因子：
5.1
通讯作者：
Millen, Ailsa E.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Caldwell, Christine A.;Millen, Ailsa E.
现代人类的认知技能和复杂发明的快速出现（在进化过程中）被归因于“累积文化进化”（CCE），即知识和技能在几代人中的积累。到目前为止，研究人员只能推测这种现象在非人类中明显缺乏的原因，并且还不可能测试有关其机制的假设。在这里，我们表明，通过模拟世代继承，通过反复删除和替换实验组中的人类参与者，可以在实验室条件下证明CCE。我们创建了“微社会”，参与者被指示使用日常材料完成简单的任务。在我们的一个程序中，参与者被要求建造一架尽可能飞得远的纸飞机，而在另一个程序中，他们被要求建造一座尽可能高的意大利面条塔。我们表明，在这两种情况下，信息在群体内积累，使得后代产生比早期设计更成功的设计。这些方法为研究人员提供了一个了解CCE的窗口，允许实验操作和假设检验。(C)2008年爱思唯尔公司All rights reserved.
The rapid appearance (over evolutionary time) of the cognitive skills and complex inventions of modem humans has been attributed to cumulative cultural evolution" (CCE), the accumulation of knowledge and skills over generations. To date, researchers have only been able to speculate about the reasons for the apparent absence of this phenomenon in nonhumans, and it has not been possible to test hypotheses regarding the mechanisms underlying it. Here, we show that it is possible to demonstrate CCE under laboratory conditions by simulating generational succession through the repeated removal and replacement of human participants within experimental groups. We created "microsocieties" in which participants were instructed to complete simple tasks using everyday materials. In one of our procedures, participants were instructed to build a paper aeroplane which flew as far as possible, and in the other, they were instructed to construct a tower of spaghetti which was as tall as possible. We show that, in both cases, information accumulates within the groups such that later generations produce designs which are more successful than earlier ones. These methods offer researchers a window to understanding CCE, allowing for experimental manipulation and hypothesis testing. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.