Human culture and genes

Oct 8, 2004  Dov, in biologicalEvolution.

In the Oct 2004 Scientific American Carl Zimmer  (books "Soul Made Flesh" and "Evolution:The Triumph of an Idea")  reviews Dean Hamer's book "The God Gene".

This is what I have to say about their subjects of writings:

On Genes and Human ulture/faith/Morals/Values                                                          ————————————————-

If you ever wondered about the origin/driving force/direction of evolution of any community of organisms via adaptation to changing circumstances, you'll conclude that each and every and all the many inter- and intra-cells biological processes involved in their evolution and survival are constituent factors in their cooperative activities that enable and promote their survival and proliferation.

Going more basic, this is true for all chromosomal genes associations, genomes, which are products of evolution and cooperation of their individual gene constituents much as their following mono- and poly-cell organisms are products of evolution of their earlier cellular forms, all being products of evolution of their in-cell genome residents who, by means of their, earlier, RNAs and, later, also protein toolings, evolved and are designed and driven solely towards their replication, the replication of the in-cell residents, the genomes.

Now, circa six million years ago, evolve we hominids, and as their changed living posture led to modified perceptive/adaptive capabilities humans, by means of evolved languages, have gradually replaced physiological adaptation to changed circumstances with evolving cultures and civilizations for control and modification of much of their circumstances. Culture has since been functioning for humans for changing/controling their circumstances in lieu of protein toolings that function for in-cell genomes for adapting their cell's physiology to changing circumstances.

Cultural aspects, ALL cultural aspects, function for individual humans and for human communities of ALL sizes and phenotypes (distinct ethnic/national/cultural communities) in the same manner and for the same ends as biological systems function in cells. This is plainly in accord with the fractal nature of Earth Life.

Call it whatever you want, religion or atheism or Hamerism or Zimmerism, an organism - yes, even human - would not survive/proliferate without cooperative behaviour, and all cultural matters including faith, morals, values, even all forms of art, are just some of the terms used in reference to aspects of human cooperative behaviour.

Dov