At a Glance
- Researchers propose “co-culture” to describe mutual cultural behavior sharing between different animal species, highlighting significant mutual influences beyond simple imitation.
- Cédric Sueur, a behavioral ecologist, and Michael Huffman, a primatologist, introduced co-culture, challenging the notion that culture is exclusive to a single species and highlighting the behavioral interconnectedness across species.
- Instances such as human-honeyguide relationships in Africa, where birds assist humans in finding bee nests, and cooperative scavenging between ravens and wolves illustrate cross-species cultural behaviors that enhance survival and drive evolutionary change.
- Understanding co-culture relationships can shed light on the connections between cultural and genetic evolution, leading to a more profound comprehension of the evolutionary processes and adaptations that benefit various species.
- Researchers suggest exploring co-culture in urban environments to understand how animals and humans influence each other’s behaviors and adaptations, which could impact conservation efforts and urban planning.
In a recent opinion piece published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, researchers propose a new concept called “co-culture” to describe how different animal species share cultural behaviors. This idea goes beyond simple observation and imitation, highlighting how two species can mutually influence each other in significant ways.
Behavioral ecologist Cédric Sueur and primatologist Michael Huffman introduced the term “co-culture”. They contend that this concept questions the notion that culture is exclusive to a single species. Instead, co-culture emphasizes the interconnectedness of behaviors across species, noting that these interactions can lead to adaptations that benefit both species involved.
Examples of co-culture include human-honeyguide relationships in Tanzania and Mozambique, where honeyguides help humans find bee nests, and cooperative scavenging between ravens and wolves. Such interactions suggest that cultural behaviors can enhance survival and drive evolutionary changes. Studying these cross-species relationships, according to the researchers, can shed light on the connection between cultural and genetic evolution.
Looking ahead, the researchers suggest investigating co-culture in urban environments, where animals and humans influence each other’s behaviors and adaptations. Understanding these interactions could improve our knowledge of how cultural and genetic evolution occur together across different species and settings, potentially impacting areas like conservation and urban planning.
References
- Cell Press. (2024, July 11). Introducing co-cultures: When co-habiting animal species share culture. Phys.Org; Cell Press. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-cultures-habiting-animal-species-culture.html
- Sueur, C., & Huffman, M. A. (2024). Co-cultures: Exploring interspecies culture among humans and other animals. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, S0169534724001228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2024.05.011
