A Different Kind of Animal: How Culture Transformed Our Species

Anthropologist Boyd, professor of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University, makes a simple argument in this otherwise technical book on cultural evolution: “Cumulative cultural evolution is crucial for human adaptation. We humans would not be an exceptional species if we did not adapt culturally.” The details are far more complex. Boyd presents his case via two extended chapters that originated as lectures. These are followed by four short critiques by fellow scientists and rounded out by Boyd’s rebuttal to their points. Boyd proposes a twofold mechanism. First, in every human society and in many different ways, there’s very strong pressure for individuals to follow social norms; to act in prescribed ways and model behavior practiced by the majority of people in the group. Second, since groups compete with one another, a process Boyd calls “cultural group selection,” this “can lead to the spread of some norms at the expense of others.” Boyd is at his best when he explains how norm construction occurs and how cultural transmission of complicated information can spread throughout a group. The work is thought-provoking from a professional perspective, but Boyd’s highly specialized exchange with his respondents will be of limited interest to general readers. (Nov.)