| dc.description.abstract | In order to accurately describe the evolution of traits, researchers must study both their biological and cultural transmission. Socially learned cultural traits have been important for both human and songbird evolution. In humans, social learning influences features such as technology, language, and social structures. Birdsongs are socially learned and have an important role in intra-species competition and mate selection, making birdsong a crucial element in songbird evolution. Culture and genetics evolve together: genetic evolution takes place in an environment made up of cultural traits, and culture can only evolve due to a genetic basis for learning. In this dissertation, I investigate this two-way interaction between genetics and culture in humans and songbirds. I combine computational models with empirical data and simulations to describe the evolution of language, human genetics, and birdsong. I describe how culture has influenced gene flow in human populations, both within and between countries. In human populations, patterns of community organization, kinship, and mobility have all had effects on the geographic distribution of genetic variation, but these effects differed between regions of the world. In birds, I find that the evolution of learning heuristics is affected by the distributions of song traits, and that learning biases have shaped the distribution of songs in a focal species. These analyses of genetic, cultural, and spatial data illustrate the ways in which learned behaviors can shape the dynamics within and between populations. | |
