Impacts of drift and population bottlenecks on the cultural transmission of a neutral continuous trait: an agent based model

Authored by Adam N. Rorabaugh

Date Published: 2014-09

DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2014.05.016

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: Other Narrative

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

Although there is increasing interest in the connections between copying error and the generation of variation of continuous cultural traits, the complex interplay between forces of evolutionary drift and copying error in continuous traits remains under-examined. Here, an agent based model is provided that examines the effects of drift and population bottlenecks on the production of variation in a selectively neutral metric attribute under vertical, unbiased, and prestige biased modes of transmission. The provided model has implications for inferring demographic change or restricted forms of knowledge in the production of technologies. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tags

Agent-based modeling Cultural Transmission Continuous cultural attributes Cultural drift Population bottlenecks Prestige bias