Great ape enculturation studies: a neglected resource in cognitive development research

Abstract

Disagreement remains about whether particular human socio-cognitive traits arose primarily as a result of biological adaptations, or because of changing cultural practices. Heyes argues that uniquely human traits, including imitation and theory of mind, are the product of cultural learning. In contrast, Tomasello argues that they are, in key respects, part of a suite of adaptations for ‘shared intentionality’. We consider how such disagreements might be resolved. We show that the kinds of consideration often used to adjudicate questions about trait origins are insufficient to settle origin questions. Furthermore, humankind’s immersion in culture undermines the prospect that cross-cultural and developmental studies could resolve origin questions. Nonetheless we argue that, when cautiously interpreted, currently neglected studies of enculturated great apes (i.e. apes raised in human environments) can shed new light on trait origins, and inform mechanistic accounts of cognitive development. While acknowledging the shortcomings of enculturation research, we argue that it deserves renewed attention.

Cultural evolution: A review of theoretical challenges

“…Theoretical research specifying what would constitute evidence of cumulative culture (and how ‘acultural’ explanations from natural selection would be ruled out) must precede or at least accompany additional field studies. A valuable contribution by theoreticians here would be to assist in fixing the social and cognitive conditions that are necessary and sufficient for cumulative culture, and by developing hypotheses about the kinds of mechanistic changes that support the development of higher fidelity social learning in non-human animals (Berio & Moore, 2023 ).…”