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Many important group-level traits are institutions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2014

Matthew R. Zefferman  and
Peter J. Richerson
Matthew R. Zefferman
Affiliation:
Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA [email protected]://www.zefferman.com
Peter J. Richerson
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616. [email protected]://www.des.ucdavis.edu/faculty/Richerson/Richerson.htm
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Abstract

Smaldino makes a solid contribution to the literature on the evolution of human social organization by pointing out that group-level-traits (GLTs) often emerge from the interactions of group members in such a way that their effects are not easily partitioned into individual selection. However, we argue that he too readily dismisses institutional analysis as a tool for understanding these traits.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 37 , Issue 3 , June 2014 , pp. 280 - 281
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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References

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