Biology Assignment: A Critical Comparison of Biological and Cultural Evolution

This paper critically compares and contrasts the similarities and differences between biological and cultural evolution. It discusses the underlying mechanisms of both processes and how they give rise to the emergence of species and human behavior.

Running head: BIOLOGY
BIOLOGY ASSIGNMENT
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Introduction:
Evolution can be defined as the recurrent changes that occur in life-forms with the
progression of generations. However, there are multiple perspectives of validating the
concept of evolution. This paper would critically compare and contrast the existing
similarities and dissimilarities between biological and cultural evolution.
Discussion:
Biological as well as cultural evolution is governed by the process of selection,
variation and hereditary transmission and exclusively operates on the basis of the
evolutionary algorithm which is a recursive and an iterative process. As mentioned by Portin,
a stark similarity has been noticed between cultural and biological evolution in terms of the
process of operation. The components of cultural evolution, such as ideas, processes,
religious beliefs and language operate on the guidelines of the evolutionary algorithm which
ensures ‘survival of the fittest’. This refers to the fact that, an environment inhabited by
diverse population, when subject to environmental stress would differentially select the fittest
organisms that can adapt to the change and deselect the poorly adapted organisms. For
instance, an offspring with a poor genetic constitution is likely to either be born disabled or
be stillborn because natural selection would not favour the baby with genetic defect. In the
same way, close-knit communities with limited cultural and linguistic diversity are likely to
succumb to environmental stress and be eliminated in the process of evolution. For instance,
the extinction of the cultural community of Taino can be studied as an example of natural de-
selection (Rozin, Paul and Jonathan). Also, cultural and biological evolution models are open
systems and do not merely involve permutation and combination. In addition to this, it should
also be noted that research studies have invariably treated the biological hereditary subunits
Genes homologous to the cultural subunits Memes and it is believed that evolution

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constitutes passing down the combination of the genetic and cultural traits to the subsequent
generations (Kirby et al.).
On the other hand, a number of factors differentiate the cultural and the biological
process of evolution. However, it should be noted that the differences involve critical
scientific explanation. Firstly, biological evolution is a product of mutation that involves
minor and continuous modifications within the DNA to assume an amplified change.
However, cultural evolution has been studied to occur as a result of incorporating changes
within the cultural artefacts. Also, for a biological evolution to take place, the mutation must
successfully be able to justify and pass through the evolutionary algorithm. On the other
hand, for cultural evolution to take place, it is essential that a piece of information passes
from world 3 and world 4 to world 2 and then subsequently to world 1. It should be
mentioned here that the World 3 includes the scientific ideas and the world 4 includes ideas
and perspectives related to the field of Art. Further, the World 2 includes the world of human
psychology and behaviour and the world 1 includes the biological and physical world
(Mesoudi). Therefore, the course of cultural evolution involves transmission over several
loops and the course of change can invariably shift between the different worlds discussed
above. While the biological evolution process explains the mechanism of evolution to be
governed by a continuous process of mutation, the cultural evolution explains evolution to be
the end product of a drastic change of human behaviour. Also, the mutations in case of
biological evolution involves random variation. However, considering a behavioural model, it
can be said that community members possess a general tendency to imitate the behaviour of
the powerful individuals within the community. The general behaviour of imitating a
successful community member for sustenance reduces the possibility of random variation and
thus it eliminates the possibility of obtaining cultural equivalent of heredity units with slight
mutations. Therefore, it can be said that the process of biological evolution is not goal-

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specific and is rather unconscious and opportunistic. However, the process of cultural
evolution is strongly goal-directed, conscious and planned. While biological evolution is
majorly determined on the basis of natural and sexual selection, the cultural evolution is
broadly based upon human innovation and creativity (Thompson et al.). This refers to the
substitution of the genetic units with the forms of learning in case of cultural evolution. Also,
biological evolution involves the unidirectional and vertical transfer of the genes from the
parents to the off springs while the mode of transfer in cultural evolution is bidirectional and
horizontal or oblique (Caporael et al.). This is because, it involves the transfer of ideas and
concepts between individuals within a network.
Conclusion:
Therefore, to conclude it can be said that both the processes of cultural and biological
evolution are interconnected with one another and are widely based upon variation, natural
selection and heredity. However, the underlying mechanism of the processes differ and
collectively the processes give rise to the emergence of species and human behaviour.

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References:
Caporael, Linnda R., James R. Griesemer, and William C. Wimsatt, eds. Developing
scaffolds in evolution, culture, and cognition. MIT Press, 2013.
Kirby, Simon, Tom Griffiths, and Kenny Smith. "Iterated learning and the evolution of
language." Current opinion in neurobiology 28 (2014): 108-114.
Mesoudi, Alex. "Cultural evolution: a review of theory, findings and
controversies." Evolutionary biology 43.4 (2016): 481-497.
Portin, Petter. "A comparison of biological and cultural evolution." Journal of genetics 94.1
(2015): 155-168.
Rozin, Paul, and Jonathan Haidt. "The domains of disgust and their origins: Contrasting
biological and cultural evolutionary accounts." Trends in Cognitive Sciences 17.8 (2013):
367-368.
Thompson, Bill, Simon Kirby, and Kenny Smith. "Culture shapes the evolution of
cognition." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113.16 (2016): 4530-4535.