Table 2 Analogy table comparing genetic evolution and cultural evolution as well as individual-level learning by general evolutionary concepts of variation, selection, and inheritance of traits. For an extended table and references, see Hanisch and Eirdosh (2020a, Table 1)
From: Educational potential of teaching evolution as an interdisciplinary science
Concept, process, principle | Genetic evolution | Cultural evolution | Learning |
|---|---|---|---|
How is variation of traits caused? | Mutation, recombination | Creativity, innovations, recombination of ideas, mistakes, reactions to new environments | Creativity, innovations, social learning, recombination of ideas, mistakes, reactions to new environments |
How does selection of traits occur? | Higher chances of survival and reproduction compared to other trait variants | Higher chances of survival and reproduction (natural selection); higher appeal or attractiveness of the trait (cultural selection) | Success in achieving a goal |
How are traits inherited, transmitted, or retained? | Biological reproduction, mitosis/meiosis | Social learning/imitation, teaching; technologies and infrastructure that endure | Reinforcement, encoding of neural connections in the brain |