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Chimpanzee and human cultures

Publication ,  Journal Article
Boesch, C; Tomasello, M
Published in: Current Anthropology
January 1, 1998

Culture has traditionally been attributed only to human beings. Despite growing evidence of behavioral diversity in wild chimpanzee populations, most anthropologists and psychologists still deny culture to this animal species. We argue here that culture is not monolithic but a set of processes. These processes show much diversity both in the social norms and models that determine which individuals will be exposed to particular cultural variants and what cultural variants will be present in the population and in the social learning mechanisms that determine the fidelity of transmission of the variants over time. Recognition of the diversity of these processes is important because it affects cultural dissemination, cultural evolution, and the complexity of cultural artifacts. A comparison of chimpanzee and human cultures shows many deep similarities, thus suggesting that they share evolutionary roots. Two possible differences between the two species are discussed. First, thanks to indirect means of transmission such as language, cultural dissemination is possible over greater stretches of time and space in humans than in chimpanzees. Second, human cultures rely more intensively than chimpanzee cultures on cumulative cultural evolution through the ratchet effect, which allows the accumulation of modifications over time and produces more elaborate cultural artifacts. © 1998 by The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. All rights reserved.

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Published In

Current Anthropology

DOI

ISSN

0011-3204

Publication Date

January 1, 1998

Volume

39

Issue

5

Start / End Page

591 / 614

Related Subject Headings

  • Anthropology
  • 4401 Anthropology
  • 4301 Archaeology
  • 2101 Archaeology
  • 1801 Law
  • 1601 Anthropology
 

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Boesch, C., & Tomasello, M. (1998). Chimpanzee and human cultures. Current Anthropology, 39(5), 591–614. https://doi.org/10.1086/204785
Boesch, C., and M. Tomasello. “Chimpanzee and human cultures.” Current Anthropology 39, no. 5 (January 1, 1998): 591–614. https://doi.org/10.1086/204785.
Boesch C, Tomasello M. Chimpanzee and human cultures. Current Anthropology. 1998 Jan 1;39(5):591–614.
Boesch, C., and M. Tomasello. “Chimpanzee and human cultures.” Current Anthropology, vol. 39, no. 5, Jan. 1998, pp. 591–614. Scopus, doi:10.1086/204785.
Boesch C, Tomasello M. Chimpanzee and human cultures. Current Anthropology. 1998 Jan 1;39(5):591–614.
Journal cover image

Published In

Current Anthropology

DOI

ISSN

0011-3204

Publication Date

January 1, 1998

Volume

39

Issue

5

Start / End Page

591 / 614

Related Subject Headings

  • Anthropology
  • 4401 Anthropology
  • 4301 Archaeology
  • 2101 Archaeology
  • 1801 Law
  • 1601 Anthropology