Frequency Dependence Arguments for the Co-evolution of Genes and Culture

Abstract

The Baldwin effect is a process by which learnt traits become integrated into the genome through a non-Lamarckian mechanism. It has been hypothesized that behaviours characterized by positive frequency dependence – namely, behaviours whose fitness increases with the proportion of individuals in the population adopting it – offer fertile grounds for Baldwinization. We argue that positive complementarities, like the ones exhibited by this type of behaviour, are neither necessary nor sufficient for the Baldwin effect to occur. We offer a taxonomy of frequency dependent interactions to assess the relative likelihood of Baldwinization.