Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Volume 271, Issue 1547, Pages 1443-1450Publisher
ROYAL SOC
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2004.2746
Keywords
cultural evolution; random genetic drift; patents; first names; pottery; power laws
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We show that the frequency distributions of cultural variants, in three different real-world examples-first names, archaeological pottery and applications for technology patents-follow power laws that can be explained by a simple model of random drift. We conclude that cultural and economic choices often reflect a decision process that is value-neutral; this result has far-reaching testable implications for social-science research.
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