Here's another recent reference on the culture-evolution linkage. It deals with
something even more fundamental: behavior-evolution linkage. Page 270 has a
beautiful chart that summarizes the linkages.
Journal title: The Quarterly Review of Biology
Citation details: Vol. 79, No. 3, September 2004, pp 241-278
Article title: Behavioral Syndromes: An Integrative Overview
Article authors: Andrew Sih, Alison M Bell, J Chadwick Johnson, and Robert E
Ziemba
URL:
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/QRB/journal/issues/v79n3/790308/brief/790308.abstract.html
ABSTRACT
A behavioral syndrome is a suite of correlated behaviors expressed either
within a given behavioral context (e.g., correlations between foraging
behaviors in different habitats) or across different contexts (e.g.,
correlations among feeding, antipredator, mating, aggressive, and dispersal
behaviors). For example, some individuals (and genotypes) might be generally
more aggressive, more active or bold, while others are generally less
aggressive, active or bold. This phenomenon has been studied in detail in
humans, some primates, laboratory rodents, and some domesticated animals, but
has rarely been studied in other organisms, and rarely examined from an
evolutionary or ecological perspective. Here, we present an integrative
overview on the potential importance of behavioral syndromes in evolution and
ecology. A central idea is that behavioral correlations generate tradeoffs; for
example, an aggressive genotype might do well in situations where high
aggression is favored, but might be inappropriately aggressive in situations
where low aggression is favored (and vice versa for a low aggression genotype).
Behavioral syndromes can thereby result in maladaptive behavior in some
contexts, and potentially maintain individual variation in behavior in a
variable environment. We suggest terminology and methods for studying
behavioral syndromes, review examples, discuss evolutionary and proximate
approaches for understanding behavioral syndromes, note insights from human
personality research, and outline some potentially important ecological
implications. Overall, we suggest that behavioral syndromes could play a useful
role as an integrative bridge between genetics, experience, neuroendocrine
mechanisms, evolution, and ecology.
KEYWORDS
behavioral syndromes, behavioral correlations, tradeoffs, aggressiveness,
shy/bold continuum, proactive/reactive coping styles, limited plasticity,
behavioral types, animal personalities, behavioral genetics
Tom Billings
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