Innovation In Cultural Systems: Contributions From Evolutionary Anthropology (Vienna Series In Theoretical Biology),Used

Leading Scholars Offer A Range Of Perspectives On The Roles Played By Innovation In The Evolution Of Human Culture.In Recent Years An Interest In Applying The Principles Of Evolution To The Study Of Culture Emerged In The Social Sciences. Archaeologists And Anthropologists Reconsidered The Role Of Innovation In Particular, And Have Moved Toward Characterizing Innovation In Cultural Systems Not Only As A Product But Also As An Evolutionary Process. This Distinction Was Familiar To Biology But New To The Social Sciences; Cultural Evolutionists From The Nineteenth To The Twentieth Century Had Tended To See Innovation As A Preprogrammed Change That Occurred When A Cultural Group Needed To Overcome Environmental Problems. In This Volume, Leading Researchers From A Variety Of Disciplinesincluding Anthropology, Archaeology, Evolutionary Biology, Philosophy, And Psychologyoffer Their Perspectives On Cultural Innovation. The Book Provides Not Only A Range Of Views But Also An Integrated Account, With The Chapters Offering An Orderly Progression Of Thought. The Contributors Consider Innovation In Biological Terms, Discussing Epistemology, Animal Studies, Systematics And Phylogeny, Phenotypic Plasticity And Evolvability, And Evodevo; They Discuss Modern Insights Into Innovation, Including Simulation, The Randomcopying Model, Diffusion, And Demographic Analysis; And They Offer Case Studies Of Innovation From Archaeological And Ethnographic Records, Examining Developmental, Behavioral, And Social Patterns.Contributorsandr Ariew, R. Alexander Bentley, Werner Callebaut, Joseph Henrich, Anne Kandler, Kevin N. Laland, Daniel O. Larson, Alex Mesoudi, Michael J. O'Brien, Craig T. Palmer, Adam Powell, Simon M. Reader, Valentine Roux, Chet Savage, Michael Brian Schiffer, Jeffrey H. Schwartz, Stephen J. Shennan, James Steele, Mark G. Thomas, Todd L. Vanpool