Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Gene-culture Coevolutionary Theory

Gene-culture coevolutionary theory examines how genetic evolution and cultural change interact as coupled processes, with each influencing the other's trajectory over time. This framework proposes that human genes and culture do not evolve independently but rather shape one another through feedback mechanisms, where…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 4 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 42× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2689-4602 🗓 Reviewed June 2026

Overview

Gene-culture coevolutionary theory examines how genetic evolution and cultural change interact as coupled processes, with each influencing the other's trajectory over time. This framework proposes that human genes and culture do not evolve independently but rather shape one another through feedback mechanisms, where cultural practices create selective pressures on genes while genetic predispositions influence which cultural traits spread through populations. Research published in Evolutionary Science has explored foundational questions relevant to this theory by examining how evolutionary mechanisms operate across different scales and contexts. Articles have addressed the conceptual architecture of Darwinian evolutionary theory itself, investigating how conservation and creation processes interact within evolutionary frameworks. Other work has focused on speciation mechanisms through the lens of ontogenes—developmental genetic elements that may influence how populations diverge—using model organisms like Drosophila melanogaster to understand how genetic systems constrain or enable evolutionary change. Additionally, research on the evolutionary conservation of developmental genes such as Hox genes in vertebrate brain development illuminates how deeply conserved genetic programs interact with environmental and potentially cultural factors across evolutionary time, providing insight into the genetic substrates that underlie behavioral and cognitive capacities relevant to cultural transmission.

Research published in this journal

4 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

2019

Ontogenes and the Problem of Speciation

F Chadov BorisCorresponding author
Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Department of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russian Federation.
Evolutionary Science Cited by 15 doi:10.14302/issn.2689-4602.jes-18-2431

How this research is being cited

The 4 articles above have been cited 42 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Gene-culture Coevolutionary Theory, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Evolutionary Science (ISSN 2689-4602).

Journal editorial board
Maria Luisa Chiusano · Italy Adina-Elena Segneanu · Romania George Mikhailovsky · United States

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