What is gene-culture coevolution?

• A. An evolutionary framework where genetic and cultural processes interact, shaping human psychology and behavior over time.
• B. An evolutionary theory focusing only on genetic changes.
• C. A model describing cultural changes without genetics.
• D. A theory about language evolution alone.

Answer: (A)

Gene-culture coevolution is the idea that genetic evolution and cultural evolution interact and shape human psychology and behavior over generations. Cultural practices change environments and the selective pressures that act on populations, while genetic variation influences how people learn, transmit, and respond to culture. This creates a feedback loop where biology and culture drive each other’s evolution rather than changing in isolation. For example, the spread of dairy farming led some populations to develop genetic lactose tolerance, while social norms and learning strategies influence which cultural traits persist and spread. The key point is the reciprocal influence between genes and culture, not only genetic changes or only cultural changes, and not language evolution in isolation.