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Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
Published in: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Review

Evolutionary ethnobiology and cultural evolution: opportunities for research and dialog

Authors: Flávia Rosa Santoro, André Luiz Borba Nascimento, Gustavo Taboada Soldati, Washington Soares Ferreira Júnior, Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque

Published in: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine | Issue 1/2018

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Abstract

The interest in theoretical frameworks that improve our understanding of social-ecological systems is growing within the field of ethnobiology. Several evolutionary questions may underlie the relationships between people and the natural resources that are investigated in this field. A new branch of research, known as evolutionary ethnobiology (EE), focuses on these questions and has recently been formally conceptualized. The field of cultural evolution (CE) has significantly contributed to the development of this new field, and it has introduced the Darwinian concepts of variation, competition, and heredity to studies that focus on the dynamics of local knowledge. In this article, we introduce CE as an important theoretical framework for evolutionary ethnobiological research. We present the basic concepts and assumptions of CE, along with the adjustments that are necessary for its application in EE. We discuss different ethnobiological studies in the context of this new framework and the new opportunities for research that exist in this area. We also propose a dialog that includes our findings in the context of cultural evolution.
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Metadata
Title
Evolutionary ethnobiology and cultural evolution: opportunities for research and dialog
Authors
Flávia Rosa Santoro
André Luiz Borba Nascimento
Gustavo Taboada Soldati
Washington Soares Ferreira Júnior
Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1746-4269
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-017-0199-y

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