Tag: Cultural Evolution
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Behavioral Sink
John B. Calhoun’s concept of a behavioral sink illustrates how overcrowding and resource abundance lead to the breakdown of typical social and behavioral patterns in populations, marked by changes like increased aggression and social withdrawal. This phenomenon highlights the complex interplay between environmental factors and population dynamics.
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Shibboleth
Shibboleths are specialized identifiers, linguistic, cultural, or technical, that distinguish members within specific groups. Originating from historical linguistic tests, they have evolved to serve critical roles in modern contexts ranging from military identification to social customs, effectively managing inclusion and exclusion.
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Exaptation
Exaptation, a key concept in evolutionary biology, refers to the repurposing of existing traits for new functions. This process plays a significant role in both biological and cultural innovation, enabling rapid evolutionary responses. Its identification, however, is complicated due to the complexity of historical evolutionary pressures.
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Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness
The Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness (EEA) refers to the historical conditions under which human traits evolved, typically related to the Pleistocene era. It provides a framework for understanding human behavior, cognition, and health from an evolutionary perspective.