Standing on the shoulders of giants

Building upon the knowledge of others over many generations, known as cumulative cultural evolution, is arguably unique to humans and possibly responsible for our success in colonising diverse habitats and overcoming challenges. In contrast, learning from others underlies the development of culture in animals. Rachel Kendal, The University of Durham, has investigated social learning in children, chimpanzees and fish, and discusses how human learning between one another may have been critical for cumulative culture.