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Rapid evolution of social learning.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Franz, M; Nunn, CL
Published in: Journal of evolutionary biology
September 2009

Culture is widely thought to be beneficial when social learning is less costly than individual learning and thus may explain the enormous ecological success of humans. Rogers (1988. Does biology constrain culture. Am. Anthropol. 90: 819-831) contradicted this common view by showing that the evolution of social learning does not necessarily increase the net benefits of learned behaviours in a variable environment. Using simulation experiments, we re-analysed extensions of Rogers' model after relaxing the assumption that genetic evolution is much slower than cultural evolution. Our results show that this assumption is crucial for Rogers' finding. For many parameter settings, genetic and cultural evolution occur on the same time scale, and feedback effects between genetic and cultural dynamics increase the net benefits. Thus, by avoiding the costs of individual learning, social learning can increase ecological success. Furthermore, we found that rapid evolution can limit the evolution of complex social learning strategies, which have been proposed to be widespread in animals.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of evolutionary biology

DOI

EISSN

1420-9101

ISSN

1010-061X

Publication Date

September 2009

Volume

22

Issue

9

Start / End Page

1914 / 1922

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Behavior
  • Models, Genetic
  • Learning
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Cultural Evolution
  • Computer Simulation
  • Biological Evolution
  • Animals
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 3104 Evolutionary biology
 

Citation

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Franz, M., & Nunn, C. L. (2009). Rapid evolution of social learning. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 22(9), 1914–1922. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01804.x
Franz, M., and C. L. Nunn. “Rapid evolution of social learning.Journal of Evolutionary Biology 22, no. 9 (September 2009): 1914–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01804.x.
Franz M, Nunn CL. Rapid evolution of social learning. Journal of evolutionary biology. 2009 Sep;22(9):1914–22.
Franz, M., and C. L. Nunn. “Rapid evolution of social learning.Journal of Evolutionary Biology, vol. 22, no. 9, Sept. 2009, pp. 1914–22. Epmc, doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01804.x.
Franz M, Nunn CL. Rapid evolution of social learning. Journal of evolutionary biology. 2009 Sep;22(9):1914–1922.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of evolutionary biology

DOI

EISSN

1420-9101

ISSN

1010-061X

Publication Date

September 2009

Volume

22

Issue

9

Start / End Page

1914 / 1922

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Behavior
  • Models, Genetic
  • Learning
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Cultural Evolution
  • Computer Simulation
  • Biological Evolution
  • Animals
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 3104 Evolutionary biology