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The Evolution of Tag-Based Cooperation in Humans: The Case for Accent.
- Source :
-
Current Anthropology . Oct2012, Vol. 53 Issue 5, p588-616. 29p. 1 Chart. - Publication Year :
- 2012
-
Abstract
- Recent game-theoretic simulation and analytical models have demonstrated that cooperative strategies mediated by indicators of cooperative potential, or "tags," can invade, spread, and resist invasion by noncooperators across a range of population-structure and cost-benefit scenarios. The plausibility of these models is potentially relevant for human evolutionary accounts insofar as humans possess some phenotypic trait that could serve as a reliable tag. Linguistic markers, such as accent and dialect, have frequently been either cursorily defended or promptly dismissed as satisfying the criteria of s reliable and evolutionarily viable tag. This paper integrates evidence from a range of disciplines to develop and assess the claim that speech accent mediated the evolution of tag-based cooperation in humans. Existing evidence warrants the preliminary conclusion that accent markers meet the demands of an revolutionarily viable tag and potentially afforded a cost-effective solution to the challenges of maintaining viable cooperative relationships in diffuse, regional social networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00113204
- Volume :
- 53
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Current Anthropology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 82358260
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1086/667654