Cultural economic packages drive genetic differences even between nearby populations

Evidence

These differences are likely part of a long and meandering evolutionary story and emerged as our ancestors shifted to a heavy reliance on underground roots and tubers over a million years ago. However, just how much populations have depended on starch since then has been influenced by a combination of ecology and cultural evolution, including the practices, preferences, technologies, and know-how of different populations. As we see from the examples above, groups can live relatively close by, in similar ecologies, but still maintain different numbers of AMY1 genes because they operate with different economic packages. — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success, 311

Categorization

• XREF: Joins the gene-culture coevolution thesis central to this book with the reader’s coercion-vulnerability frame: culture steers genetic selection, not just transmission of beliefs. — connects to: Culturally accumulated packages can outperform the individuals who inherit them — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 200; Baltic agriculture led to genetic selection for very light skin — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 281; Lactase persistence varies dramatically even among neighboring African ethnic groups. — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 294 (+10 more)

Broader Connections

• Cultural evolution has been the central driver of human genetic evolution for eons. #expands (0.88) — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success, 1015
• Cultural evolution can create selection pressures stronger than natural ones #expands (0.82) — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success, 282
• The boundary between biological and cultural evolution is dissolving #corroborates (0.78) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 493
• Perceived physical differences are themselves shaped by cultural and economic status #expands (0.75) — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 709
• Cultural shift and economic transition align but causal direction stays unclear #qualifies (0.74) — David Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity, 1047
• Genetic differences within racial groups exceed differences between groups #complicates (0.72) — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning, 1179
• Cultural variation between groups requires an adaptive explanation consistent with evolved psychology. #qualifies (0.72) — Joe Henrich and Robert Boyd, The Evolution of Conformist…, 8