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Modeling abrupt cultural regime shifts during the Palaeolithic and Stone Age

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  • Aoki, Kenichi

Abstract

The coupled dynamics of the size and the mean cultural/technological level of a population, with positive feedback between these two variables, is modeled in the Malthusian–Boserupian framework. Bifurcation diagrams, with innovativeness or the cultureless carrying capacity as the parameter, show that abrupt transitions in the mean cultural level are possible. For example, a gradual evolutionary change toward greater innate innovativeness would produce an associated gradual increase in mean cultural level, until a threshold is crossed that triggers an abrupt cultural regime shift. Hence, the model may help explain the apparently sudden and dramatic efflorescences of Palaeolithic/Stone Age culture during the Late Pleistocene, without having to invoke major contemporaneous genetic changes in cognition. The results of statistical studies on the association between population size and toolkit diversity among ethnographic societies are also discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Aoki, Kenichi, 2015. "Modeling abrupt cultural regime shifts during the Palaeolithic and Stone Age," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 6-12.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:thpobi:v:100:y:2015:i:c:p:6-12
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2014.11.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Aoki, Kenichi & Feldman, Marcus W., 2014. "Evolution of learning strategies in temporally and spatially variable environments: A review of theory," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 3-19.
    2. Strimling, Pontus & Sjöstrand, Jonas & Enquist, Magnus & Eriksson, Kimmo, 2009. "Accumulation of independent cultural traits," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 77-83.
    3. Marcus W. Feldman & Kenichi Aoki & Jochen Kumm, 1996. "Individual Versus Social Learning: Evolutionary Analysis in a Fluctuating Environment," Working Papers 96-05-030, Santa Fe Institute.
    4. Maxime Derex & Marie-Pauline Beugin & Bernard Godelle & Michel Raymond, 2013. "Experimental evidence for the influence of group size on cultural complexity," Nature, Nature, vol. 503(7476), pages 389-391, November.
    5. Mark Collard & April Ruttle & Briggs Buchanan & Michael J O’Brien, 2013. "Population Size and Cultural Evolution in Nonindustrial Food-Producing Societies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(9), pages 1-1, September.
    6. Aoki, Kenichi & Lehmann, Laurent & Feldman, Marcus W., 2011. "Rates of cultural change and patterns of cultural accumulation in stochastic models of social transmission," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 79(4), pages 192-202.
    7. Kobayashi, Yutaka & Aoki, Kenichi, 2012. "Innovativeness, population size and cumulative cultural evolution," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 38-47.
    8. Wakano, Joe Y. & Kawasaki, Kohkichi & Shigesada, Nanako & Aoki, Kenichi, 2011. "Coexistence of individual and social learners during range expansion," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 80(2), pages 132-140.
    9. Stefano Ghirlanda & Magnus Enquist, 2007. "Cumulative culture and explosive demographic transitions," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 41(4), pages 591-600, August.
    10. Aoki, Kenichi & Nakahashi, Wataru, 2008. "Evolution of learning in subdivided populations that occupy environmentally heterogeneous sites," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 74(4), pages 356-368.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Wakano, Joe Yuichiro & Gilpin, William & Kadowaki, Seiji & Feldman, Marcus W. & Aoki, Kenichi, 2018. "Ecocultural range-expansion scenarios for the replacement or assimilation of Neanderthals by modern humans," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 3-14.
    3. Andrew Buskell & Magnus Enquist & Fredrik Jansson, 2019. "A systems approach to cultural evolution," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-15, December.

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