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Mother–infant cultural group selection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2016

James S. Chisholm
Affiliation:
School of Anatomy, Physiology, and Human Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. jchisholm@anhb.uwa.edu.auhttp://www.uwa.edu.au/people/jim.chisholm
David A. Coall
Affiliation:
University of Western Australia, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. School of Medical Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia. d.coall@ecu.edu.auhttp://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/medical-sciences/staff/profiles/senior-lecturers/dr-david-coall
Leslie Atkinson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada. atkinson@psych.ryerson.cahttp://www.ryerson.ca/psychology/faculty/atkinson/

Abstract

Richerson et al. argue that “cultural group selection plays an essential role in explaining human cooperation.” We believe that cooperation came first, making culture and thus cultural group selection possible. Cooperation and culture began – and begins – in mother–infant interaction.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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