La evolución cultural del hombre. ¿una forma de transmisión darwiniana?

Resumen

Human cultural evolution: a Darwinian transmission?

For a prolonged length of time Homo sapiens survived by hunting, fishing and collecting roots and fruits. All these activities required certain techniques and knowledges transmitted through oral language. The invention of agriculture, 12 000 years ago, was the first important cultural revolution since it gave humans the possibility of having a food surplus, as well as to diversify its activities. Around 5 000 BC, the second most important revolution was the invention of writing. Thus, information could be transmitted through symbols located outside the body; extrabiological information appeared and cultural evolution then rapidly accelerated. Although it is difficult to think that cultural information could be transmitted through particles of information such as memes, it is possible that words, numbers, colors, musical notes could be considered important basic units of cultural transmission. However, the transmission of written ideas, concepts, techniques and artistic skills should be considered most important within the cultural evolution of humans.

Key words. Human evolution, cultural revolution, extrabiological information, writing, memes, techniques.