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Human evolution

Group size determines cultural complexity

Nature volume 503, pages 351–352 (2013)Cite this article

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Many animals use culture, the ability to learn from others, but only humans create complex culture. A laboratory experiment tests which characteristics of our social networks give us this capacity. See Letter p.389

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Figure 1: Net gain.

GUNTER GRÄFENHAIN/4CORNERS IMAGES

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  1. Peter Richerson is in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA, and at the School of Archaeology, University College London, UK.,

    Peter Richerson

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  1. Peter Richerson
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Correspondence to Peter Richerson.

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Richerson, P. Group size determines cultural complexity. Nature 503, 351–352 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12708

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