Evolution Shaped Polynesian Culture

摘要

What do alterations in canoe design in Polynesia have to do with evolution? They offer a clear-cut example of how natural selection can influence cultural change, argue the authors of a paper published in March in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers studied the design of canoes from Fiji and 10 Polynesian island cultures. They looked at the history of functional design changes: modifications that affect the seaworthiness of the boat, such as the design of the hull or the attachment of the outriggers. They also noted alterations in the canoes' symbolic elements, decorations that have no functional purpose.