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Cultural group selection is plausible, but the predictions of its hypotheses should be tested with real-world data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2016

Peter Turchin  and
Thomas E. Currie
Peter Turchin
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269. peter.turchin@uconn.edu http://cliodynamics.info
Thomas E. Currie
Affiliation:
Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom. T.Currie@exeter.ac.uk http://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Thomas_Currie
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Abstract

The evidence compiled in the target article demonstrates that the assumptions of cultural group selection (CGS) theory are often met, and it is therefore a useful framework for generating plausible hypotheses. However, more can be said about how we can test the predictions of CGS hypotheses against competing explanations using historical, archaeological, and anthropological data.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 39 , 2016 , e55
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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