The impact of learning on sexual selection and speciation

Verzijden, Machteld N.; Cate, Carel ten; Servedio, Maria R.; Kozak, Genevieve M.; Boughman, Janette W.; Svensson, Erik I.

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2012.05.007

Cited by 312 publications

(332 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…For example, social learning has been extensively studied in nonhuman animals, in which behavioral strategies, such as producer and scrounger, and cultural trajectories can be more clearly defined than in humans (166,179). Cultural transmission also has large-scale evolutionary implications for some nonhuman animals: For example, theoretical studies suggest that nonrandom mating in birds based on culturally transmitted songs could accelerate speciation (180,181) and that sexual selection on learned songs could influence evolution of the neural underpinnings of learning (182). Recently, studies in a range of animal species have shown that cultural practices can emerge, spread, and change over time, potentially influencing individuals' fitness (183)(184)(185)(186)(187).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural evolutionary theory: How culture evolves and why it matters

Creanza

Kolodny

Feldman

2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

349

203

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Human cultural traits-behaviors, ideas, and technologies that can be learned from other individuals-can exhibit complex patterns of transmission and evolution, and researchers have developed theoretical models, both verbal and mathematical, to facilitate our understanding of these patterns. Many of the first quantitative models of cultural evolution were modified from existing concepts in theoretical population genetics because cultural evolution has many parallels with, as well as clear differences from, genetic evolution. Furthermore, cultural and genetic evolution can interact with one another and influence both transmission and selection. This interaction requires theoretical treatments of gene-culture coevolution and dual inheritance, in addition to purely cultural evolution. In addition, cultural evolutionary theory is a natural component of studies in demography, human ecology, and many other disciplines. Here, we review the core concepts in cultural evolutionary theory as they pertain to the extension of biology through culture, focusing on cultural evolutionary applications in population genetics, ecology, and demography. For each of these disciplines, we review the theoretical literature and highlight relevant empirical studies. We also discuss the societal implications of the study of cultural evolution and of the interactions of humans with one another and with their environment. cultural evolution | mathematical models | gene-culture coevolution | niche construction | demography H uman culture encompasses ideas, behaviors, and artifacts that can be learned and transmitted between individuals and can change over time (1). This process of transmission and change is reminiscent of Darwin's principle of descent with modification through natural selection, and Darwin himself drew this explicit link in the case of languages: "The formation of different languages and of distinct species, and the proofs that both have been developed through a gradual process, are curiously parallel" (2, 3). Theory underpins most scientific endeavors, and, in the 1970s, researchers began to lay the groundwork for cultural evolutionary theory, building on the neo-Darwinian synthesis of genetics and evolution by using verbal, diagrammatic, and mathematical models (4-8). These models are, by necessity, approximations of reality (9), but because they require researchers to specify their assumptions and extract the most important features from complex processes, they have proven exceedingly useful in advancing the study of cultural evolution (10). Here, we review the field of cultural evolutionary theory as it pertains to the extension of biology through culture. We focus on human culture because the bulk of cultural evolutionary models are human-centric and certain processes such as cumulative culture seem to be unique to humans. However, numerous nonhuman species also exhibit cultural transmission, and we consider the areas of overlap between models of human and animal culture in Discussion.The study of cultural evolution is im...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural evolutionary theory: How culture evolves and why it matters

Creanza

Kolodny

Feldman

2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

349

203

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Recall that the social environment is both a determinant of reproductive success [8,10,14] and a cause of phenotypic plasticity in traits such as mate preferences [1][2][3][4][5][6]. This double-role of the social environment can generate feedback loops between the causes of variation in phenotypes and the causes of selection on phenotypes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic variation in social influence on mate preferences

Rebar

Rodrı́guez

2013

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Patterns of phenotypic variation arise in part from plasticity owing to social interactions, and these patterns contribute, in turn, to the form of selection that shapes the variation we observe in natural populations. This proximate-ultimate dynamic brings genetic variation in social environments to the forefront of evolutionary theory. However, the extent of this variation remains largely unknown. Here, we use a member of the Enchenopa binotata species complex of treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae) to assess how mate preferences are influenced by genetic variation in the social environment. We used full-sibling split-families as 'treatment' social environments, and reared focal females alongside each treatment family, describing the mate preferences of the focal females. With this method, we detected substantial genetic variation in social influence on mate preferences. The mate preferences of focal females varied according to the treatment families along with which they grew up. We discuss the evolutionary implications of the presence of such genetic variation in social influence on mate preferences, including potential contributions to the maintenance of genetic variation, the promotion of divergence, and the adaptive evolution of social effects on fitness-related traits.

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“…Here we use the term pheromone, rather than signature mixture, as it appears unlikely that these chemical signals are learnt. However, it is important to note that whether these responses are predisposed or require learning is not known (Verzijden et al, 2012). Pheromones that reveal species identity should be relatively consistent between individuals of the same species, although populations sometimes differ in their pheromone profiles (Fornasiero et al, 2011).…”

Section: Diet-mediated Pheromones and Species Recognitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet-Mediated Pheromones and Signature Mixtures Can Enforce Signal Reliability

et al. 2017

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Diet is arguably the most significant environmental factor shaping chemical signals in animals. In rare cases, dietary components are converted directly into pheromones or signature mixtures but more generally variation in an individual's diet influences their overall condition and thus capacity to synthesize the signal. Typically, diet is variable between individuals of the same species and this can lead to variation in signals. This variation presents specific challenges to receivers, who must be able to recognize and respond to a greater range of signals. However, such variation might also provide the receiver with key information about the signaller, allowing them to respond to the signal advantageously. Here we investigate how dietary-mediated pheromones and signature mixtures can provide the receiver with reliable information about the signaller, ultimately benefiting the receiver in a way not achievable by a static signal.

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The impact of learning on sexual selection and speciation

Cited by 312 publications

References 93 publications

Cultural evolutionary theory: How culture evolves and why it matters

Cultural evolutionary theory: How culture evolves and why it matters

Genetic variation in social influence on mate preferences

Diet-Mediated Pheromones and Signature Mixtures Can Enforce Signal Reliability

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