Adaptation for Culture
Title
Adaptation for Culture
Author
Church, Jill M.
Research Area
Theory
Topic
Theory ‐ Discipline specific
Abstract
The evolutionary study of human behavior has expanded into a broad spectrum of theories and models seeking to explain how genetic evolution enables the development of human culture, how cultural evolution influences biological and psychological evolution, and investigating the ways these processes interact. While natural selection and other genetic mechanisms determined the human ability to create culture, cultural practices can also affect the human genome. Researchers in a variety of social science disciplines are also investigating the root causes of behavioral traits in order to more effectively guide future adaptation to the current global environment. This essay briefly outlines the foundational research on the development of sociobiological disciplines and outlines the application of evolutionary research to current social problems from adapting to climate change and other environmental stressors to altering maladaptive behaviors such as bullying or obesity. It also proposes key issues for future research, highlighting the need for rigorous empirical study and using interdisciplinary teams to create a more robust understanding of the influence culture has on our genes, and vice versa. Collaborative research by a multidisciplinary team of geneticists, behavioral psychologists, anthropologists, and biologists would provide a robust theoretical framework with multiple avenues for study to understand why and how behavioral traits exist. This knowledge can then be used to establish more effective policies to improve health and safety.