Citation
Not by Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human Evolution
TL;DR
Culture is a distinct inheritance system alongside genes
Foundational text on gene-culture coevolution. Argues that cultural evolution is a distinct evolutionary process that interacts with genetic evolution - humans evolved to be cultural learners, and cultural practices then created new selection pressures on genes. Directly relevant to understanding how organizational culture creates selection pressures on employees and practices.
Key Findings from Richerson & Boyd (2005)
- Culture is a distinct inheritance system alongside genes
- Cultural practices can create selection pressures that drive genetic change
- Gene-culture coevolution explains uniquely human traits like cooperation at scale