Which concept describes the interaction between genes and culture in shaping behavior over time?

Which concept describes the interaction between genes and culture in shaping behavior over time?

• A. Gene-culture coevolution
• B. Gene-environment correlation
• C. Cultural diffusion
• D. Genetic drift

Answer: (A)

Gene-culture coevolution describes how genetic variation and cultural practices influence each other over generations, shaping behavior through a reciprocal loop. Cultural practices can create new selective pressures—like dairy farming increasing lactase persistence in some populations—so genes that support those practices become more common. At the same time, genetic predispositions can affect which cultural options are adopted or persisted, guiding the direction of cultural change. This dynamic, long-term interplay is what the concept captures. Gene-environment correlation focuses on how an individual’s genes influence the environments they experience, which can affect behavior, but it’s not primarily about the reciprocal, population-level evolution of genes and culture. Cultural diffusion deals with the spread of cultural traits between groups, not with how genetic and cultural evolution reshape behavior over time. Genetic drift refers to random changes in gene frequencies, unrelated to cultural processes.

Gene-culture coevolution describes how genetic variation and cultural practices influence each other over generations, shaping behavior through a reciprocal loop. Cultural practices can create new selective pressures—like dairy farming increasing lactase persistence in some populations—so genes that support those practices become more common. At the same time, genetic predispositions can affect which cultural options are adopted or persisted, guiding the direction of cultural change. This dynamic, long-term interplay is what the concept captures.

Gene-environment correlation focuses on how an individual’s genes influence the environments they experience, which can affect behavior, but it’s not primarily about the reciprocal, population-level evolution of genes and culture. Cultural diffusion deals with the spread of cultural traits between groups, not with how genetic and cultural evolution reshape behavior over time. Genetic drift refers to random changes in gene frequencies, unrelated to cultural processes.