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The document is a student's analysis of an article by Charles Perreault called "The Pace of Cultural Evolution". The student summarizes Perreault's study comparing the speed of cultural evolution versus biological evolution. Perreault used the scientific method to study this question. The results showed that cultural evolution is faster than biological evolution because cultural changes like technology and skills can happen over short time intervals between generations, while biological changes take long periods of time to manifest across generations through genetic changes. The student learned about different types of selection and gained a broader understanding of evolution through this assignment.

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41 views

Signature Assignment Anthro

The document is a student's analysis of an article by Charles Perreault called "The Pace of Cultural Evolution". The student summarizes Perreault's study comparing the speed of cultural evolution versus biological evolution. Perreault used the scientific method to study this question. The results showed that cultural evolution is faster than biological evolution because cultural changes like technology and skills can happen over short time intervals between generations, while biological changes take long periods of time to manifest across generations through genetic changes. The student learned about different types of selection and gained a broader understanding of evolution through this assignment.

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Setefano A Malieitulua

March 3, 2016
Prof. Rachelle Handley
Thursday 5:30pm to 8:20
Signature Assignment
http://deuceduce.weebly.com/

The Pace of Cultural Evolution


The article by Charles Perreault, The Pace of Cultural Evolution is an observation study
difference between culture and biological evolution. Cultural evolution is adaptation in the humans
throughout time and the change in the environment. Biological evolution is a small or large population
change in genetics over a period of time through generation to generations. In the study by Jean Baptiste
Lamarck, Lamarck believed that species change in relationship to changes in the environment. Between
these two subjects, Perreault has used the scientific method to answer his question, what is faster cultural
or biological evolution.
To begin Perreaults study, the problem is which is faster in evolution, culture or biological. The
hypothesis of the study is in the pace of cultural and biological evolution. He explains the cultural
changes are in the technology and more recent time intervals from generation to generation is a key factor
of data in cultural evolution. As time passes in our lifetime the knowledge we have as humans expands.
The expanding of knowledge continues with more efficient technology. Hard work and using more of our
bodies have been transferred into a computer instituting a better way of doing things in our daily lives.
For example, construction has taking a turn because of new equipment to operate instead using the shovel
to trench. Internet has email or videos for less travel to have meetings in other areas far from each other.
These are some examples of cultural evolution. Cultural evolution begins with a parent to an offspring
that can pass on to from generation to generation. For example, mother and father can make a decision to
change the culture by moving from America to Japan. This will change the life and culture of a family in

short period time to hours, days, months, or years. Biological evolution changes in the populations are
from a long periods of time due to genetic changes in the environment. The way biologically this can be
occur is through sexual reproduction. For example will be the change in an offspring. This can take
many years and from generation to generation, but the offspring will not be an instant change. The
change will have to happen within a long period of time that do not overlap in time.
The observation and data for the study for cultural and biological evolution is correlated through
intervals of time. These observations were taken from time of species from months to 20 years. In this
observation the life span of short time culture is compared to how fast technology can change in short
amount of time, This cannot be compared to a human with a long life span, but can be compared to a
species with a short life span.
The results are that Cultural evolution is faster than biological evolution because of time from
generation to generation. With the time for culture, technology and skills are faster to change in short
interval of time compared to the time for a biological change to happen in the genes of a human or other
species. Other than humans, the life span of other species are shorter. Inverse correlation is in part of the
study, because as culture rapidly changes, human biology remains the same in changes. The times of
culture can move within the environment, like for an example, and change in language. Language has
changed within the community for the youth to an adult. Social changes are another example from youth
to an adult. These results can change within a community at a short amount of time. Biologically,
changes within species are done in long periods of time, and the time from a human a last a lifetime.
In this study, I have come to realize how much evolution is a factor in our lives. I have had to use
another source to help me understand the difference of cultural and biological evolution. Social, natural,
and sexual selection continued to comprehend the subject for this article. From my point of view, Social
selection is one key factor to the study from Perreault. Social selection will benefit a person to mentally
and physically achieve their skills in todays society. Socially learning skills to communicate and use
different actions to produce in society (Portin 2015). Natural selection has a physical attraction towards

many different surroundings in evolution, but sexual selection has a physical attraction to a certain partner
(Portin 2015). Natural selection had to adapt to their environment by producing more offspring, and then
the sexual selection was generated through this process. To produce the offspring, sexual selection has to
have a physical partner through individuals of the opposite sex to procreate. Biologically, a male cannot
crossover to the opposite sex, and cultural evolution has no direction. For example, two males will not
produce an offspring. Technology has no limits in the evolution world. I have had an experience through
the understanding of science and evolution this past four weeks. Before this semester, evolution meant
the study of man and monkeys, and I learned about evolution throughout the class. I have a wider range
of the subject of evolution, and I am grateful for this class.

Work Cite

Perreault, Charles. The Pace of Cultural Evolution. PLoS ONE 7(9):e45150. DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0045150 (September 14, 20112). Web. 29 Mar. 2012.
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=101371/journal.pone.0045150#authcontrib.
PORTIN, PETTER. A Comparison of Biological And Cultural Evolution. Journal of Genetics 94.1
(2015): 155-168. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27Feb. 2016

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