Culture in DNA
A very interesting post on Wired suggests that culture may be programmed into DNA, according to a lab study on Zebra Finches. Young male birds are taught to sing specific mating songs by their fathers, but when raised in isolation, generations of birds "figure out" how to sing these same songs in order to successfully reproduce. In other words, culture that is taught, e.g. language and song, is hardwired in the birds’ DNA.
Implications for human culture are found in this evidence, since human and bird evolutionary paths are not so distant (according to the researchers). Does this mean that the development of various human cultural traits and behaviors are not completely influenced by our environments?
