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If culture is grounded in human biology, then it has an evolutionary history and rudimentary aspects of culture should be detectable in the behavior of other modern species. In this volume, active ethological investigators and biologically oriented anthropologists examine new discoveries in the transmission of behavior in social groups and across generations and focus on the theme of the ethological roots of culture.
List of contents
Introduction. Studying the ethological roots of culture; R.A. Gardner, B.T. Gardner. Part I: Field Studies. Evidence of structure in macaque communication; A. Zeller. The central-peripheral structure of the Tanaxpillo colony of stumptail macaques; D.R. Rasmussen, E. Riordan, M. Farrington, E. Kelly, J. Nachman, S. Fernandez, A. Churchill. Cultural implications of differences between populations of free ranging chimpanzees in Africa; W.C. McGrew. Precultural behavior of Japanese macaques: Longitudinal studies of the Koshima troops; K. Watanabe. Bird song learning: a model of cultural transmission? P.J.B. Slater, J.M. Williams. Swarm intelligence and the emergence of cultural swarm patterns; G. Theraulaz, J.-L. Deneubourg. Part II: Laboratory Studies. Mother-pup transmission of a feeding technique in the golden hamster; E. Prato Previde, M.D. Poli. A study of social, genetic, and environmental determinants of cultural transmission in the house mouse; P. Valsecchi, I. Bosellini, D. Mainardi, M. Mainardi. Can chimpanzees use tools by observational learning? D. Paquette. Social transmission of stimulus recognition by birds, fish and molluscs; M.D. Suboski. Part III: Cross-Fostered Chimpanzees. Ethological roots of language; R.A. Gardner, B.T. Gardner. Development of phrases in the utterances of children and cross-fostered chimpanzees; B.T. Gardner, R.A. Gardner. Transmission of human gestural language in a chimpanzee mother--infant relationship; R.S. Fouts. The use of remote video recordings to study the use of American Sign Language by chimpanzees when no humans are present; D.H. Fouts. Part IV: Infant Development. Is there prenatal culture? M.-C. Busnel. The earliness and complexity of the interaction skills and social behaviors of the child with its peers; H. Montagner, B. Epoulet, G. Gauffier, R. Goulevitch, V. Huvert-Ruiz, N. Ramel, B. Wiaux, A. Restoin, M. Taule. Learning by instincts, developmental transitions and the roots of culture in infancy; F.X. Plooij, H.H.C. Van de Rijt-Plooij. Part V: Ethnographic and Historical Patterns. An ethological perspective on human handedness; L.F. Marchant, W.C. McGrew. Culture and olfactory communication; M. Kirk-Smith. Cultural evolution in man of postures, gestures, and unverbalised social relations; C. Russell, W.M.S. Russell. Part VI: Paleoanthropological Patterns. Evolution of human culture: a composite pattern; F. Giusti. Culture and its biological origins: a view from ethology, epigenesis and design; V. Geist. Causes of our complete dependence on culture; P. Slurink.
Summary
If culture is grounded in human biology, then it has an evolutionary history. This volume examines discoveries in the transmission of behaviour in social groups and across generations and focuses on the theme of the ethological roots of culture.
