Cultural Macroevolution

= "Cultural macroevolution is the study of the cultural evolutionary process considered on multiple scales over long time spans." [1]

Article

* Article / Chapter: Prentiss, A.M., Laue, C.L. (2019). Cultural Macroevolution. In: Prentiss, A. (eds) Handbook of Evolutionary Research in Archaeology. Springer, Cham. doi

URL =https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-11117-5_6

Abstract

"Cultural macroevolution is the study of the cultural evolutionary process considered on multiple scales over long time spans. Theoretical concepts favored by cultural macroevolutionary scholars (hierarchical evolution, multi-scalar selection, punctuated equilibria, historical contingency, and constraints on evolutionary pathways) align well with the extended evolutionary synthesis (EES) which includes these concerns but adds interest in plasticity, evolution of development (evo-devo), and ecological inheritance and niche construction. Thus, we argue that macroevolutionary archaeology is well positioned to benefit from and contribute to the EES. Toward that end this chapter outlines baseline assumptions and contributions of macroevolutionary archaeology and introduces concepts from the EES and advanced fitness landscape theory as essential theoretical tools for solving problems in the long-term record of human bio-cultural history and evolution."