Quantifying cultural macro-evolution: a case study of the hinoeuma fertility drop

Understanding patterns and underlying processes of human cultural diversity has been a major challenge in evolutionary anthropology. Recent developments in the study of cultural macro-evolution have illuminated various novel aspects of cultural phenomena at the population level. However, limitations in data availability have constrained previous analyses to use simplest models ignoring factors that potentially affect cultural evolutionary dynamics. Here, we focus on two such factors: accumulated effects of cultural transmission between populations over time and variation in social influence among populations. As a test case, we analyze data on the hinoeuma fertility drop, the Japanese nation-wide drastic decline in the number of births caused by a culturally-transmitted superstition recurring every sixty years, to show that these factors do play significant roles. Specifically, our results suggest that transmission of the superstition in a short timescale has tended to occur among neighboring populations, while transmission in a long timescale is likely to have occurred between populations culturally close to each other, with the cultural closeness being measured by similarity in dialects. The results also indicate a special role played by a population occupying a center in a language–distance network (the cultural center) in the spread of the superstition.     

A two level mutation-selection model of cultural evolution and diversity

Cultural evolution is a complex process that can happen at several levels. At the level of individuals in a population, each human bears a set of cultural traits that he or she can transmit to its offspring (vertical transmission) or to other members of his or her society (horizontal transmission). The relative frequency of a cultural trait in a population or society can thus increase or decrease with the relative reproductive success of its bearers (individual’s level) or the relative success of transmission (called the idea’s level). This article presents a mathematical model on the interplay between these two levels. The first aim of this article is to explore when cultural evolution is driven by the idea’s level, when it is driven by the individual’s level and when it is driven by both. These three possibilities are explored in relation to (a) the amount of interchange of cultural traits between individuals, (b) the selective pressure acting on individuals, (c) the rate of production of new cultural traits, (d) the individual’s capacity to remember cultural traits and to the population size. The aim is to explore the conditions in which cultural evolution does not lead to a better adaptation of individuals to the environment. This is to contrast the spread of fitness-enhancing ideas, which make individual bearers better adapted to the environment, to the spread of “selfish” ideas, which spread well simply because they are easy to remember but do not help their individual bearers (and may even hurt them). At the same time this article explores in which conditions the adaptation of individuals is maximal. The second aim is to explore how these factors affect cultural diversity, or the amount of different cultural traits in a population. This study suggests that a larger interchange of cultural traits between populations could lead to cultural evolution not improving the adaptation of individuals to their environment and to a decrease of cultural diversity.     

Cultural complexity and demography: The case of folktales

We investigate the relationship between cultural complexity and population size in a non-technological cultural domain for which we have suitable quantitative records: folktales. We define three levels of complexity for folk narratives: the number of tale types, the number of narrative motifs, and, finally, the number of traits in variants of the same type, for two well-known tales for which we have data from previous studies. We found a positive relationship between number of tale types and population size, a negative relationship for the number of narrative motifs, and no relationship for the number of traits. The absence of a consistent relationship between population size and complexity in folktales provides a novel perspective on the current debates in cultural evolution. We propose that the link between cultural complexity and demography could be domain dependent: in some domains (e.g. technology) this link is important, whereas in others, such as folktales, complex traditions can be easily maintained in small populations as well as large ones, as they may appeal to universal cognitive biases.     

水洞沟旧石器考古研究的新进展与新认识

水洞沟遗址在中国旧石器考古学研究中倍受关注的同时也倍受争议。争议的核心是其旧石器遗存的技术特点、文化属性、来龙去脉和与西方旧石器文化的关系。争议缘起于对核心遗址——第1地点地层、时代和文化演替了解与认识的局限性与模糊性。本文在近年来对遗址区系统调查和多个地点系统发掘与研究的基础上, 对水洞沟遗址群的旧石器时代文化及相关问题提出一系列新的认识,包括水洞沟是一个由多处地点构成的大型露天遗址群; 先民生存活动不局限在一个时期, 文化遗存至少分属7个时段, 据此可建立4万年来区域人群演化序列; 遗址保留的人类文化遗产丰富多样, 除不同技术体系的石制品, 还有骨器、装饰品、复杂用火遗存, 以及对居址复杂利用、对石料热处理和采食植物性食材的诸多信息, 反映古人群具有很强的生存能力和特定的行为方式; 该地区在旧石器时代晚期不同时段存在不同技术体系的考古学文化组合, 出现过勒瓦娄哇+石叶的技术体系与小石片技术体系的交替, 反映末次冰期期间东北亚人群复杂、能动的适应、迁徙、交流过程; 该地区的勒瓦娄哇+石叶的技术体系与本土传统石器工业不存在渊源关系, 应是从西方—西北方向迁移过来的古人群的遗留, 其出现的时间可能早于原先的认定, 而且在消失后没有对本土文化产生明显的影响; 石叶技术组合固然代表一支来自西方的早期现代人群的迁徙和扩散, 但移居者没有对本土人群实现整体替代, 反而被后者取代; 后者在石器技术上保持固有的传统, 但文化遗存中出现小型精制石器、装饰品、石料热处理等早期现代人的行为表征, 反映出这里的现代人起源与扩散模式不是简单的外来移民替代,相反, 本土人群连续演化是主旋律。因而, "连续进化附带杂 交"理论在该地区有着更坚实的考古学基础。     

Cultural niche construction in a metapopulation

Cultural niche construction is the process by which certain evolving cultural traits form a cultural niche that affects the evolution of other genetic and cultural traits [Laland, K., et al., 2001. Cultural niche construction and human evolution. J. Evol. Biol. 14, 22-33; Ihara, Y., Feldman, M., 2004. Cultural niche construction and the evolution of small family size. Theor. Popul. Biol. 65, 105-111]. In this study we focus on cultural niche construction in a metapopulation (a population of populations), where the frequency of one cultural trait (e.g. the level of education) determines the transmission rate of a second trait (e.g. the adoption of fertility reduction preferences) within and between populations. We formulate the Metapopulation Cultural Niche Construction (MPCNC) model by defining the cultural niche induced by the first trait as the construction of a social interaction network on which the second trait may percolate. Analysis of the model reveals dynamics that are markedly different from those observed in a single population, allowing, for example, different (or even opposing) dynamics in each population. In particular, this model can account for the puzzling phenomenon reported in previous studies [Bongaarts, J., Watkins, S., 1996. Social interactions and contemporary fertility transitions. Popul. Dev. Rev. 22 (4), 639-682] that the onset of the demographic transition in different countries occurred at ever lower levels of development.     

Is multiculturalism the solution?

As far as multiculturalism is at stake, three kinds of question arise at the more or less confusing meeting point of sociology, political science and political philosophy: What are the sources and meanings of cultural difference in our societies? In what way do institutions and policy-makers in some countries deal with multiculturalism? Why should we favour or not favour multiculturalism? This article tackles these questions in turn and seeks to answer them. Cultural differences are not only reproduced, they are in the constant process of being produced which means that fragmentation and recomposition are a permanent probability. In such a situation, the problem is how to broaden democracy in order to avoid at one and the same time the tyranny of the majority and the tyranny of the minorities.     

Innovativeness, population size and cumulative cultural evolution

Henrich [Henrich, J., 2004. Demography and cultural evolution: how adaptive cultural processes can produce maladaptive losses—the Tasmanian case. Am. Antiquity 69, 197-214] proposed a model designed to show that larger population size facilitates cumulative cultural evolution toward higher skill levels. In this model, each newborn attempts to imitate the most highly skilled individual of the parental generation by directly-biased social learning, but the skill level he/she acquires deviates probabilistically from that of the exemplar (cultural parent). The probability that the skill level of the imitator exceeds that of the exemplar can be regarded as the innovation rate. After reformulating Henrich’s model rigorously, we introduce an overlapping-generations analog based on the Moran model and derive an approximate formula for the expected change per generation of the highest skill level in the population. For large population size, our overlapping-generations model predicts a much larger effect of population size than Henrich’s discrete-generations model. We then investigate by way of Monte Carlo simulations the case where each newborn chooses as his/her exemplar the most highly skilled individual from among a limited number of acquaintances. When the number of acquaintances is small relative to the population size, we find that a change in the innovation rate contributes more than a proportional change in population size to the cumulative cultural evolution of skill level.     

Classes of communication and the conditions for their evolution

Evolution of communication is conceptualized as a coevolutionary process in which evolution of signaler and that of receiver occur in an interdependent manner. Three classes of communication, mutualistic, altruistic, and exploiting, are distinguished depending on who gains a benefit or suffers a cost from successful communication. Communication is also dichotomized according to whether individuals are innately able to send and receive relevant signals or they have to acquire those signals culturally. We develop two-locus haploid models that represent the coevolutionary nature of the evolution of communication, and derive the conditions under which communicators can invade a population of non-communicators and those under which a population of communicators is evolutionarily stable against the invasion by non-communicators for each of the three classes of communication. Analysis of the models reveals that interaction among siblings enables the invasion of communication and that the optimal probability of interaction with siblings depends on the class of communication and the mode of signal transmission. In addition, cultural exploiting communication is more likely to invade a population of non-communicators than is genetic exploiting communication under certain circumstances.     

重引入对麋鹿种群分娩定时及同步化的影响

种群持续繁殖是重引入物种对原灭绝地气候成功恢复适应的重要标志,研究重引入前后种群的繁殖波动规律,可为重引入管理者提供精准的繁殖预测信息和科学依据。本文整理北京重引入麋鹿种群后的1987年、1997年、2007年和2017年的总分娩数据,以每年最早分娩日作参照基准,统计个体分娩距此的天数,计算同步化率,并用ANOVA分析气温、降水、空气湿度、光照等变量对麋鹿分娩定时格局的影响。结果表明：(1) 引入后麋鹿种群年分娩节律呈“钟摆样”前后摆动,后逐渐回调,并最终处于相对稳定状态：时隔85年 (从灭绝至重引入) 后,北京麋鹿种群首次分娩时间较乌邦寺种群推迟35 ~ 42 d;重引入定植阶段：分娩节律逐年提前;种群扩繁阶段：分娩节律逐年向后推迟;种群复壮阶段：分娩节律又逐年微回调并最终处于稳定状态。(2) 北京麋鹿种群分娩有较强光周期定时和同步化：在重引入的第一年,分娩同步化率达到0 ~ 25%、25% ~ 50%、50% ~ 75%,分别用时18 d、14 d、5 d;重引入定植阶段分别用时41 d、19 d、11 d;种群扩繁阶段分别用时45 d、10 d、9 d;种群复壮阶段分别用时34 d、20 d和11 d。(3) 累积光照和积温,对北京麋鹿种群正常分娩启动影响差异极显著,对同步化分娩没有影响：妊娠期积温达到 (2748.34 ± 157.69)℃,累计光照达到 (3684.77 ± 514.26) h可启动正常分娩。(4) 北京麋鹿种群的分娩峰期与地上生物量峰期相关;从分娩时间来看,北京麋鹿种群已经恢复了对原灭绝地气候的适应。(5) 随时间增长,北京麋鹿种群非同步化分娩的个体数量逐年增加,分娩期总跨度并未延长。1997年以来,平均每年有30%左右的非同步化分娩现象。因此,基于分娩数据分析表明,麋鹿引入北京37年后,种群已经恢复对原灭绝地环境的重适应。     

Studying Cultural Evolution at the Tips: Human Cross-cultural Ecology

While human genetic variation is limited due to a bottleneck on the origin of the species ～200 kya, cultural traits can change more rapidly, and may do so in response to the variation in human habitats. Does cultural diversification simulate a natural experiment in evolution much like biodiversity so that cultural divergences and convergences can be interpreted in terms of the differences and similarities of local environments? Or is cultural diversity simply the result of human behavioral flexibility? Although the majority of cultural data comes from the tips of the hominin phylogeny, anthropologists can follow the example of evolutionary ecologists, who often compare the endpoints of phylogenies when that is all that is available. This article compares 97 contemporary indigenous language communities from around the world, and 24 of their cultural traditions, to help determine whether human cultures and their cultural traits are proportionately dispersed, as predicted by the neutral theory of biodiversity, or whether they show non-proportionalities that could be explained with evolutionary reasoning.     

The evolution of social learning rules: Payoff-biased and frequency-dependent biased transmission

Humans and other animals do not use social learning indiscriminately, rather, natural selection has favoured the evolution of social learning rules that make selective use of social learning to acquire relevant information in a changing environment. We present a gene-culture coevolutionary analysis of a small selection of such rules (unbiased social learning, payoff-biased social learning and frequency-dependent biased social learning, including conformism and anti-conformism) in a population of asocial learners where the environment is subject to a constant probability of change to a novel state. We define conditions under which each rule evolves to a genetically polymorphic equilibrium. We find that payoff-biased social learning may evolve under high levels of environmental variation if the fitness benefit associated with the acquired behaviour is either high or low but not of intermediate value. In contrast, both conformist and anti-conformist biases can become fixed when environment variation is low, whereupon the mean fitness in the population is higher than for a population of asocial learners. Our examination of the population dynamics reveals stable limit cycles under conformist and anti-conformist biases and some highly complex dynamics including chaos. Anti-conformists can out-compete conformists when conditions favour a low equilibrium frequency of the learned behaviour. We conclude that evolution, punctuated by the repeated successful invasion of different social learning rules, should continuously favour a reduction in the equilibrium frequency of asocial learning, and propose that, among competing social learning rules, the dominant rule will be the one that can persist with the lowest frequency of asocial learning.     

Cultural coevolution of norm adoption and enforcement when punishers are rewarded or non-punishers are punished

A number of studies have shown that social norms can be maintained at a high frequency when norm-violators are punished. However, there remains the problem of how norm-adopters and punishers coevolve within a single group. We develop a recursive system to examine the coevolution of norm-adopters and punishers where the viability of punishers is enhanced by one of two "metanorms": (1) Norm-observers reward punishers for punishing norm-violators (Reward Model); (2) Punishers punish non-punishers (Punishment Model). Both models generate a bistable system and each is characterized in phenotype frequency space by a distinct region of attraction to the equilibrium consisting of only norm-adopting punishers. Using a Monte Carlo simulation, we find that cultural drift may allow norm-adopters and punishers to coevolve from invasion into this region of attraction, resulting in their fixation. This coevolution typically occurs across a wider range of conditions under the reward- than the punishment-based metanorm. We also show that, under appropriate conditions, a large negative statistical association between the two traits may evolve only under the Reward Model. Furthermore, for each metanorm, a population of norm-adopters who always observe the norm can be locally stable over a continuum of punishment frequencies.     

Population estimates of the Endangered Hawaiʻi ʻĀkepa (Loxops coccineus) in different habitats on windward Mauna Loa

Endangered Hawai‘i ?ākepas (Loxops coccineus) are endemic to Hawai‘i island, where they occur in five spatially distinct populations. Data concerning the status and population trends of these unique Hawaiian honeycreepers are crucial for assessing the effectiveness of recovery and management actions. In 2016, we used point‐transect distance sampling to estimate the abundance of Hawai‘i ?ākepas in portions of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO) and the Ka?ū Forest Reserve (KFR) on Mauna Loa volcano. We then compiled the survey data from four other populations to provide a global population estimate. In our HAVO and KFR study area, we mapped habitat classes to determine the population densities in each habitat. Densities were highest (1.03 birds/ha) in open‐canopy montane ?ōhi?a (Metrosideros polymorpha) woodland. In contrast, densities of the largest ?ākepa population on Mauna Kea volcano were highest in closed‐canopy ?ōhi?a and koa (Acacia koa) forest where the species is dependent on nest cavities in tall (> 15 m), large (> 50‐cm diameter at breast height) trees. We surveyed potential nesting habitat in HAVO and KFR and found only one cavity in the short‐stature montane ?ōhi?a woodland and five cavities in the tall‐stature forest. Differences in densities between the Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa populations suggest that Hawai‘i ?ākepas may exhibit different foraging and nesting behaviors in the two habitats. The estimated overall population density in the HAVO and KFR study area was 0.52 birds/ha, which equates to 3663 (95% CI 1725–6961) birds in their 11,377‐ha population range. We calculated a global population of 16,428 (95% CI 10,065–25,198) birds, which is similar to an estimate of 13,892 (95% CI 10,315–17,469) birds made in 1986. Our results suggest that populations are stable to increasing in the two largest populations, but the three other populations are smaller (range = 77–1443 birds) and trends for those populations are unknown.     

江西省官山自然保护区白颈长尾雉资源调查

利用路线调查法,分别于1984、1993、2001年对官山自然保护区白颈长尾雉资源进行调查,掌握其分布的种群密度,同时结合社区采访,收集资料,了解影响白颈长尾雉种群变化的重要原因。调查取得的相关资料,将为今后开展白颈长尾雉种群保护和监测提供依据。     

How to reach linguistic consensus: a proof of convergence for the naming game

In this paper we introduce a mathematical model of naming games. Naming games have been widely used within research on the origins and evolution of language. Despite the many interesting empirical results these studies have produced, most of this research lacks a formal elucidating theory. In this paper we show how a population of agents can reach linguistic consensus, i.e. learn to use one common language to communicate with one another. Our approach differs from existing formal work in two important ways: one, we relax the too strong assumption that an agent samples infinitely often during each time interval. This assumption is usually made to guarantee convergence of an empirical learning process to a deterministic dynamical system. Two, we provide a proof that under these new realistic conditions, our model converges to a common language for the entire population of agents. Finally the model is experimentally validated.     

Plant population and genotype effects override the effects of Epichloë endophyte species on growth and drought stress response of Achnatherum robustum plants in two natural grass populations

Aims In cool-season grasses, systemic and vertically transmitted Epichlo? infections often provide a suite of benefits including increased growth, reproduction and competitive abilities. However, these effects of Epichlo? endophytes on their hosts often depend upon host and endophyte genotype and environmental factors.Methods Achnatherum robustum (sleepygrass) harbors at least two Epichlo? species within natural populations in the Southwest USA. We tested the effects of endophyte infection and species, host population and plant genotype (by experimentally removing the endophyte), and soil moisture (a key limiting factor) on growth and drought stress response of infected A. robustum plants from two populations (Weed and Cloudcroft) in the Sacremento Mountains of New Mexico, USA).Important findings Although the two populations harbor distinct Epichlo? species each with very different chemoprofiles, neither endophyte status (infected vs. uninfected) nor endophyte species affected most growth parameters at 8 or 25 weeks of the experiment, except for leaf length. In high water treatment, infected plants from the Weed population had longer leaf length compared with uninfected plants. In contrast, the population of origin affected all growth parameters, including plant height, leaf number, length and width, tiller number and shoot and root biomass, as well as wilting time. Grasses from the Cloudcroft population generally showed greater growth than grasses from the Weed population. Endophyte infection did affect wilting time, with infection in the Weed population generally reducing time to wilting under low and high water, whereas infection in the Cloudcroft population reduced time to wilting only under high water conditions. Our results suggest that plant population and their associated plant genotypes may play a much larger role in endophyte–host grass interactions in varying environments than previously thought. Asexual Epichlo? species may be compatible with only specific host genotypes within populations such that the phenotypic effects due to population may be greater than phenotypic changes influenced by variation in the endophyte.     

The role of parasites in regulating host abundance

It has been 11 years since Anderson and May demonstrated the theoretical ability of helminth parasites to regulate host population abundance. In this review we consider how their work has advanced our understanding of the role of parasites in host populations. In particular Marilyn Scott and Andy Dobson consider three questions. What is meant by regulation? Is there empirical evidence that parasites can regulate host population abundance? Is it possible to predict the sort of host parasite association where one is most likely to be able to detect parasites as a major regulatory force?     

Autocatalysis in cultural ecology: model ecosystems and the dynamics of biocultural evolution

Using a well-known mathematical model frequently applied in theoretical population dynamics, certain ecological mechanisms are investigated that are inherent in the organic evolution of cultural capacities in man. Culture is argued to involve ecological interactions exhibiting analogies to the interaction of chemical species in autocatalytic biomolecular reactions. In the model, biocultural evolution proceeds by more and more broadening ecological niches and, thus, releasing competitive selection pressure on the populations involved. This, in turn, facilitates the maintenance of polymorphism in these populations as well as the individual acquisition of organic traits through learning and cultural transmission. The result is that the genetic variance in phenotypic expressions decreases at an accelerated rate.     

Prevalence of coagulation factor II G20210A and factor V G1691A Leiden polymorphisms in Chechans, a genetically isolated population in Jordan

Background Coagulation factor II G20210A and coagulation factor V (Leiden) G1691A single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are major inherited risk factors of venous thromboembolism. In view of the heterogeneity in their world distribution and lack of sufficient information about their distribution among Chechans, we addressed the prevalence of these SNPs in the Chechan population in Jordan, a genetically isolated population. Methods and Results factor II G20210A and factor V Leiden SNPs were analysed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR?CRFLP) method and Amplification refractory mutation detection system (ARMS) respectively in 120 random unrelated subjects from the Chechan population in Jordan. Among the subjects studied for factor II G20210A mutation there were three individuals carrying this mutation as heterozygous (one female and two male), giving a prevalence of 2.5?% and an allele frequency of 1.25?%. No homozygous factor II allele was found. Factor V Leiden G1691A mutation was detected as heterozygous in 22 of 120 of individuals (17 female and five male) indicating a prevalence of 18.3?% and allele frequency of 9.2?%. No homozygous allele was found. Conclusion Our results indicated that prevalence of factor II G20210A mutation in the Chechan population is similar to prevalence in Jordan and Caucasian populations (1?C6?%) while the prevalence of factor V Leiden was higher in the Chechan population compared to Jordan and Caucasian populations (2?C15?%).     

Fatal disease and demographic Allee effect: population persistence and extinction

If a healthy stable host population at the disease-free equilibrium is subject to the Allee effect, can a small number of infected individuals with a fatal disease cause the host population to go extinct? That is, does the Allee effect matter at high densities? To answer this question, we use a susceptible–infected epidemic model to obtain model parameters that lead to host population persistence (with or without infected individuals) and to host extinction. We prove that the presence of an Allee effect in host demographics matters even at large population densities. We show that a small perturbation to the disease-free equilibrium can eventually lead to host population extinction. In addition, we prove that additional deaths due to a fatal infectious disease effectively increase the Allee threshold of the host population demographics.