When people hear the word evolution, they usually picture ancient apes slowly turning into modern humans, or the slow crawl of DNA mutating over thousands of years. But according to a new theory by researchers at the University of Maine, the story of human evolution might have taken a surprising turn. The twist? Culture—not genes—could now be the main engine driving our future.
That means everything from the tools we use, the traditions we follow, to the way we organize our societies might matter more for our survival than the DNA we inherit from our parents.
Sounds wild, right? Let’s break it down.
The Idea: Culture as Evolution’s New Boss
Timothy M. Waring, an associate professor of economics and sustainability, and Zachary T. Wood, a researcher in ecology and environmental sciences, argue that human beings are in the middle of what scientists call a major evolutionary transition. That’s a fancy way of saying we may be crossing a threshold so big it changes the very definition of what it means to be human.
Traditionally, evolution was all about survival of the fittest genes. Those who had better eyesight, stronger immune systems, or other genetic advantages were more likely to pass on their DNA. But in today’s world, eyeglasses, vaccines, and fertility treatments can make those genetic disadvantages less relevant.
Instead of waiting thousands of years for DNA to naturally adapt, humans now solve many of our survival problems with culture—our inventions, institutions, and shared knowledge. As Waring puts it, “When we learn useful skills, institutions, or technologies from each other, we are inheriting adaptive cultural practices.” In other words, culture works faster than genes.
Wood is even more blunt: “Cultural evolution eats genetic evolution for breakfast.”
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Why Genes Don’t Rule Like They Used To
Take a simple example: eyeglasses. In the past, poor eyesight might have meant you couldn’t hunt, farm, or survive as easily. Today, a pair of lenses keeps you reading, driving, and thriving. Same with cesarean sections—babies who might not have survived birth now can. Or fertility treatments, which help people with genetic challenges reproduce.
These medical and cultural tools act like shortcuts, skipping the need for slow genetic adaptation. Instead of evolution waiting around for a random mutation to fix a problem, humans invent a cultural solution.
And that raises an interesting question: are we still evolving in the same way at all?
Subtopic: A History of Major Shifts
This isn’t the first time in history that living things have undergone huge evolutionary leaps. For instance:
- Billions of years ago, single-celled organisms started working together, eventually becoming multi-celled creatures—our ancestors.
- Ants, bees, and termites evolved into “superorganisms,” where individual members acted more like parts of a whole colony than independent animals.
According to Waring and Wood, humanity could be going through something similar. We’re becoming more group-oriented, leaning on collective systems like governments, economies, schools, and technologies. Our survival now depends less on individual traits and more on the systems we create and maintain together.
Think about it: is your life determined more by your height, metabolism, or blood type—or by whether you were born in Japan, Nigeria, or the United States? Chances are, the country, culture, and institutions around you play the bigger role.
But Is This “Progress”? Not So Fast.
Before we get carried away imagining a glorious future where culture saves us all, the researchers add a note of caution: cultural evolution doesn’t always mean things get “better.” Evolution—genetic or cultural—doesn’t have a built-in moral compass.
As Wood explains, “Evolution can create both good solutions and brutal outcomes.” For instance:
- Nuclear weapons are a product of cultural evolution, but so are antibiotics.
- The internet can connect people across the world, but it can also spread misinformation at lightning speed.
The takeaway? Just because humans rely more on cultural tools doesn’t mean we’re automatically heading toward a utopia.
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Subtopic: Technology as Culture’s Rocket Fuel
If culture really is the new driver of evolution, then technology is the jet engine strapped to its back.
Think about how fast tech has changed life in just one generation:
- Smartphones put the entire world’s knowledge (and memes) in your pocket.
- Social media reshaped how communities form, sometimes for good, sometimes for chaos.
- Artificial intelligence—ironically, the very tool writing this article—might change jobs, education, and human interaction more in the next decade than genetics could in a million years.
Culture used to mean traditions, language, and rituals. Now it also means algorithms, satellites, and global supply chains. That acceleration makes Waring and Wood’s theory even more striking: cultural evolution isn’t just nudging us—it’s sprinting ahead at full speed.
Related Story: Are We “De-Evolving” Biologically?
Some scientists have suggested that modern medicine might actually reduce the pressure for humans to evolve genetically. Traits that once reduced survival rates are now less likely to disappear. For example:
- People with severe allergies can still live long, full lives thanks to epinephrine and antihistamines.
- Nearsightedness, which could’ve been a big problem for hunter-gatherers, is now easily fixed with glasses or laser surgery.
Instead of genetics “weeding out” these traits, culture steps in and says: “Don’t worry, we’ve got this covered.”
So in one sense, biology may be taking a backseat—not vanishing, but no longer in the driver’s seat.
The Big Picture: Humans as a Collective
If Waring and Wood are right, then the future of humanity depends less on who we are biologically and more on how we cooperate culturally. We’re not just individuals passing on DNA anymore—we’re participants in vast cultural systems that shape our fate.
This makes humans a lot like ants or bees, whose survival depends on the colony rather than the individual. But unlike ants, our cultural “hive” includes everything from democracies to TikTok dances.
It’s a strange but fascinating thought: evolution has handed us the steering wheel, and culture is the vehicle we’re driving into the future.
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Final Thoughts
So, are humans still evolving? The answer seems to be yes—but not in the way Darwin might have imagined. Our DNA is still doing its slow, background work, but culture has barged in and taken center stage.
From medicine to technology to social systems, our survival and success depend on what we build and share together. That’s both exciting and terrifying, depending on how wisely we steer this cultural machine.
In the end, Waring and Wood’s theory leaves us with a humbling reminder: humanity’s next big chapter won’t be written in our genes alone, but in the stories, tools, and systems we create—and in how we choose to use them.
Featured image: Freepik.
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