Databases and Information Systems Commons^™

Stabilization Of Cultural Innovations Depends On Population Density: Testing An Epidemiological Model Of Cultural Evolution Against A Global Dataset Of Rock Art Sites And Climate-Based Estimates Of Ancient Population Densities, Richard Walker, Anders Eriksson, Camille Ruiz, Taylor Howard Newton, Francesco Casalegno

Department of Information Systems & Computer Science Faculty Publications

Demographic models of human cultural evolution have high explanatory potential but weak empirical support. Here we use a global dataset of rock art sites and climate and genetics-based estimates of ancient population densities to test a new model based on epidemiological principles. The model focuses on the process whereby a cultural innovation becomes endemic in a population; predicting that this cannot occur unless population density exceeds a critical threshold. Analysis of the data; using a Bayesian statistical framework; shows that the model has stronger empirical support than a proportional model; where detection is directly proportional to population density; or a …