Abstract

OJEDA-MARTINEZ, Rosa Icela; BECERILL TELLO, Merit Nefernefer  and  VARGAS, Luis Alberto. The importance of social learning and its role in the evolution of culture. Rev Arg Antrop Biol [online]. 2018, vol.20, n.2, pp.1-13. ISSN 1514-7991.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17139/raab.2018.0020.02.02.

We offer a speculative analysis of the relationship between social learning, evolution, and culture. We analyze the non-human primate behavioral information provided by several authors pointing to social learning as a common feature in some animal species. We understand "speculative" as describing a thought based on theory, but one that has not been tested by practical means. The resulting question is whether it is possible that other species different from humans may have the capacity to create and reproduce culture. We propose to view culture as a complex interaction between mind and behavior that may or may not be expressed in material form. It is possible that this type of complex cognition may have appeared very early in animal evolution, but that in humans it acquired a different dimension. Rev Arg Antrop Biol 20(2), 2018. doi:10.17139/raab.2018.0020.02.02

Keywords : Primates; Tools; Imitation; Social learning.

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