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Historical myths define group boundaries: A mathematical sketch and evidence from Ukraine

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2025

Matthew R. Zefferman  and
Paul E. Smaldino Open the ORCID record for Paul E. Smaldino [Opens in a new window]
Matthew R. Zefferman
Affiliation:
Department of Defense Analysis, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterrey, CA, USA mrzeffer@nps.edu https://zefferman.com Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
Paul E. Smaldino*
Affiliation:
Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA, USA psmaldino@ucmerced.edu https://smaldino.com Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

The authors' proposal for the evolutionary origins of historical myths does not hold up to scrutiny, as illustrated by a simple mathematical model. Group-level explanations, such as defining the conditions for in-group membership, are dismissed by the authors but are far more plausible, as illustrated by the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 47 , 2024 , e196
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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