Group size and cultural complexity

Claes Andersson () and Dwight Read ()
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Dwight Read: University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA

Nature, 2014, vol. 511, issue 7507, E1-E1

Abstract: Abstract Arising from M. Derex, M.-P. Beugin, B. Godelle & M. Raymond Nature 503, 389–391 (2013) A decade ago, Henrich1 proposed group size as a driver of cultural complexity. Derex et al.2 now present experimental results they say support this ‘group size hypothesis’ by seemingly showing that larger groups perform better than smaller groups under imitation-based cultural evolution. Our reanalysis of their experimental data, however, shows that larger groups actually perform worse than smaller groups. Thus, contrary to their claim, their data are consistent with empirical evidence discounting the group size hypothesis for non-food producing societies3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. There is a Reply to this Brief Communication Arising by Derex, M. et al. Nature 511, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature13412 (2014).

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/nature13411

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