Re: Monkeys stone herdsman in Kenya

From: Joe E. Dees (joedees@bellsouth.net)
Date: Fri Mar 03 2000 - 01:42:23 GMT

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    From: "Joe E. Dees" <joedees@bellsouth.net>
    To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2000 19:42:23 -0600
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    Subject: Re: Monkeys stone herdsman in Kenya
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    Date sent: Thu, 02 Mar 2000 11:45:03 -0500
    To: joedees@bellsouth.net
    From: "Mark M. Mills" <mmills@htcomp.net>
    Subject: Re: Monkeys stone herdsman in Kenya

    > Joe,
    >
    > >My purpose in sending you the paper was so you could, from perusing it,
    > >better understand where I am coming from in the positions that I take on
    > list.
    >
    > Ok. I can understand that. Thank you.
    >
    > >One thing that I intend to bring to that thread is the contention that
    > >fleeting culture is impossible, which is why I insist upon there being
    > >more than episodic evidence to ascribe culture to babboons. This
    > >is the reason I mention rock modification, rock
    > >transportation/retention, and toolkit behavior. For memetic
    > >evolution/mutation to occur within a culture, the culture must
    > >perdure. It cannot be something that occurs briefly, then
    > >disappears - it has to last, and be an enduring part of the world of
    > >those to whom culture is ascribed. The substrate of any change
    > >must be a stability which gives some identity to WHAT is
    > >changing; thus I contend that cultural manifestations must be
    > >frequent, if not ubiquitous, for culture to be considered inherent in a
    > >species, and for there to be something present to mutate or evolve.
    > >Also, memetic transmission/reception must be more than mere
    > >monkey see, monkey do; there must be the intention to teach and
    > >to learn noninstinctual behaviors. We need to find baboons intent
    > >on teaching other baboons, who are intent on learning from them,
    > >how to throw rocks. We also need to see variations between
    > >babboon bands in HOW they throw rocks, as we see between
    > >chimp bands in how they create termite wands, to verify that the
    > >observed behavior is mutating into various forms between bands.
    >
    > This looks interesting, but I'd rather reply in the thread. Can you put
    > this on the list?
    >
    > mark
    >
    >

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