Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id IAA06087 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 28 Feb 2000 08:51:06 GMT X-Sender: rrecchia@mail.clarityconnect.com X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.2 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk From: Raymond Recchia <rrecchia@mail.clarityconnect.com> Subject: Re: Monkeys stone herdsman in Kenya Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 17:29:43 -0500 Message-ID: <1260518313-6531528@smtp.clarityconnect.com> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Just to toss in my two cents on this subject I think we do have to be
careful to distinguish between socially derived behaviors and memes. Take a
group of social mammals and raise them all separately and they will develop
different behaviors from those that would develop if they were raised
together. The behaviors developed in the group are not memetic and are not
what we should call culture. They are the result of the individual adapting
to an enviroment which contains a number of members of the same species.
The behaviors exhibited in the example being cited may be of this sort
rather than anything memetic but I would have to know more.
By way of contrast I would point to the study of chimpanzees that came out
over the summer in 'Nature' and which was discussed previously in this news
group. Whiten, A. et al. Nature 399, 682-685 (1999). Rather than rehash old
news I'll just quote a few snippets from a summary by Frans B.M DeWaal.
(snip)
"The researchers have combined and analysed a total of 151 years of direct
observations on seven populations of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) from
across equatorial Africa. The researchers document a wide range of
consistent behavioural variation between populations. Much of this variation
cannot be attributed to obvious ecological or geographical differences,
leaving cultural variation as the only likely explanation."
(snip)
"Studies of chimpanzees in captivity support the emerging picture of
cultural apes. Because captive groups are relatively young, new habits often
develop and their spread can be carefully charted10. Also, new techniques
can be demonstrated to the apes by human experimenters, to see how
faithfully they are copied11. All in all, the evidence is overwhelming that
chimpanzees have a remarkable ability to invent new customs and
technologies, and that they pass these on socially rather than genetically"
(snip)
"The definition of culture will no doubt keep changing, but Whiten et al.
rightly take the position, common in the life sciences, that mechanisms are
of secondary importance. In the same way that the definition of respiration
doesn't specify whether the process takes place through skin, lungs or
gills, the concept of cultural propagation does not specify whether it rests
on imitation, teaching or language. The 'culture' label befits any species,
such as the chimpanzee, in which one community can readily be distinguished
from another by its unique suite of behavioural characteristics.
Biologically speaking, humans have never been alone -- now the same can be
said of culture."
I really have nothing to add to what DeWaal is saying here. He has
summarized my position better than I could.
Raymond O. Recchia
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