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| Cultural Evolution |
Cultural Evolution
In human evolution, cultural traits can be deliberately passed on to following generations and produce advantageous results. When resources are scarce, any cultural advantage can make the difference between survival and extinction. In antiquity, techniques for producing durable sharp stone points and blades were passed on from generation to generation. Once an effective design was attained, stone tools for the same purpose tended to retain the same form in a culture for thousands of years. The technical advantage of effective tools favoured the survival of that culture.
Consider the first hunter to raise an orphaned wolf cub as a hunting dog. That hunter would probably be more successful in catching game and feeding his family. In tough times, a hunting dog could be the difference between surviving and starving. That cultural advantage could be passed on to future generations. It is pure speculation, but it is possible that Cro-Magnons learned to use hunting dogs and Neanderthals did not. Perhaps that is why Neanderthals became extinct and we survived.
During the reign of Henry VIII, British foundry workers developed a technique for casting inexpensive iron cannons that could replace costly bronze cannons. British warships were then developed as efficient floating gun platforms, and soon ‘Britannia ruled the waves’. As a consequence, many cultures were ‘discovered’ and conquered by the British, and by 1900 the British Empire spanned the globe. The technical andsocial skills of the British certainly affected the evolution of many other cultures on
Earth.
In human evolution, cultural traits can be deliberately passed on to following generations and produce advantageous results. When resources are scarce, any cultural advantage can make the difference between survival and extinction. In antiquity, techniques for producing durable sharp stone points and blades were passed on from generation to generation. Once an effective design was attained, stone tools for the same purpose tended to retain the same form in a culture for thousands of years. The technical advantage of effective tools favoured the survival of that culture.
Consider the first hunter to raise an orphaned wolf cub as a hunting dog. That hunter would probably be more successful in catching game and feeding his family. In tough times, a hunting dog could be the difference between surviving and starving. That cultural advantage could be passed on to future generations. It is pure speculation, but it is possible that Cro-Magnons learned to use hunting dogs and Neanderthals did not. Perhaps that is why Neanderthals became extinct and we survived.
During the reign of Henry VIII, British foundry workers developed a technique for casting inexpensive iron cannons that could replace costly bronze cannons. British warships were then developed as efficient floating gun platforms, and soon ‘Britannia ruled the waves’. As a consequence, many cultures were ‘discovered’ and conquered by the British, and by 1900 the British Empire spanned the globe. The technical andsocial skills of the British certainly affected the evolution of many other cultures on
Earth.
