A new study poses the question of whether or not we are culturally indebted to our genetics.
Photo: paulus68
New research has once again thrown a wrench in the “nature vs. nurture” debate.
Looks like scientists from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory found that when they isolated a Zebra Finch bird, taking away its ability to learn certain songs from an elder male relative, the songs still emerged all on their own.
Ok, they were a bit rusty at first, but within four generations, these songs were as perfect as the originals.
As Luke McKinney over at the Daily Galaxy said, either:
a) Cultural information can be genetically encoded or
b) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has embarrassingly bad sound insulation.
I agree with his assertion that it is probably a.
What does this mean for humans, and to those who often tune into this blog: travelers? Does this finding implicate that we lack the ability to fully integrate into a new culture, either when we visit or decide to live in a new place?
Even though we are obviously influenced tremendously by what surrounds us on a daily basis (including by cultures other than our own), this might mean that we are simply coded to have certain belief systems and rituals no matter what is happening externally.
Free Will?
There is also the idea that each generation of the bird “worked” to perfect the imperfect song their isolated dad taught them. Sound familiar?
McKinney adds:
At every point, if you’ll forgive the outrageous anthropomorphization, [the birds] “thought” they were working it out for themselves while dancing to the genetic tune. That’s the kind of thing that would make you think very seriously about free will.
I often believe the drive that I have to travel, or dance, or write is solely my own and based on experiences I’ve had in my life. But in reality, am I just playing out the “song” of my ancestors?
Do you think it’s possible to fully integrate into another culture, or are we slaves to our genetics? Share your thoughts below.
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Good point, Turner. This is something we often miss in our self-centered approach (including me in this article, obviously!).
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Fascinating study, Christine. For me, it immediately raises questions about WHICH cultural codes we’re embedded with, “we” being those of us in North America who are descendants of settlers and have been geographically isolated from our ancestral cultures for anywhere from five to five hundred years. How well do the codes endure? Am I still embedded with Highland Scottish codes? Or is there a Canadian code? How many generations does it take to replace old with new?
I know, for instance, that despite having staunch atheists for parents, and never having been to church in my life, I’ve somehow managed to pick up decidedly Protestant points of view on a number of issues. Generations of Presbyterian and Methodist code coming out? Who knows.
All purely hypothetical stuff, but fun to ponder!
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In the case of the bird song, is that a cultural phenomenon, or evolution? A necessary trait to propagate the species? Because that I think would definitely be encoded in genetics. But really, what do I know.
I think most things are the product of environment, and given enough time sure, why wouldn’t you be able to fully integrate into another culture?
Free will might be an illusion, especially in the western world where marketers manipulate us on subconscious levels – they’re even going after babies now! *Shudder*
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Eva, I actually thought a bit about this when I was writing the piece–most of us in North America are such a conglomerate, if you will, of different cultures, which one comes out on top? Not sure we could ever figure this out based on findings of one species of bird, but wonder if it has to do with the “fittest” of traits?
Carlo, I think what the scientists extracted from this experiment is that something that is a part of one’s culture can be embedded into their genetics–the song is not necessary for its survival, per se, but it is what differentiates this particular bird from another bird. So the idea in this round of nature vs. nurture is that nature has more of a hold on us than nurture, and these cultural genetic aspects will find their way into our lives even if we have lived in a completely different culture.
Interesting though, as I’m finally reading the Tipping Point, which in part is about how much we are affected by environment and can be swayed one way or another based on our surroundings. Debate continues…
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I read that book. I also read his other book Blink, about our subconscious processes and why you should rely on your intuition more. Both very interesting. Unfortunately I don’t remember much of either! Will have to refresh myself.
What I meant about the song…wouldn’t the ability to differentiate itself from other birds have to do with its survival? I mean, it’s not like it’s just some traditional thing that has been handed down like a ritual (not including mating rituals). I would think it is necessary for, say, finding mates in order to propagate the species.
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Carlo, you made me curious, so I went back to the original article on Wired, and this is what it has to say:
“Birds transmit their songs through social interactions, as humans do for languages, dances, cuisine and other cultural elements…Each bird, then, must learn from his father or uncles, as they learned from their fathers, and so on — but this can only take us so far down the lineage…Learning may explain how the son copies its father’s song, but it doesn’t explain the origin of the father’s song.”
So, they didn’t discuss whether this song, which they considered a “courtship” song, was necessary for mating (and survival), or if it just speeds the mating process along. But I’m assuming that the birds raised in isolation were still able to mate based off of their off-key tunes, because they taught this to their offspring.
Hmm, that doesn’t really answer the question at all, does it?
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Food for thought!
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Having English, Scottish, Irish, French, Italian, Indian, African, and Carib ancestry, how could I only be a slave to my genetics? Maybe this explains why I’m pulled to all corners of the globe!
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As an African-American, when I read this, I immediately thought — yes, of course.
Most of my ancestors came from various parts of Africa (there’s some Native/European in the mix) – but I’m always amazed at how even though I’m far removed from the culture and religion of my ancestors – I can listen to two West African women talking on the train, and the “uh hmms,” laughs, and back and forth seems so familiar… now, this could just be the remnants of culture that survived, but I don’t know, it’s something deeper than that.. like a kinship I share with others of African descent – even though the cultures are distinct. Hard to put a finger on and even describe.
I can also see it in how my dad’s family – also far removed from the Native roots, language and culture, seem to value the silence of so many Native American tribes within the family…
just an observation.
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If I were just playing out the song of my ancestors, I would be a farm wife in Sweden. And I think I’d be a good one. Alas, I’m a journalist in NYC, but I do have a drive here in Brooklyn to garden and bake and sing Protestant church hymns.
Provocative article, Christine. So to answer your question “Does this finding implicate that we lack the ability to fully integrate into a new culture, either when we visit or decide to live in a new place?”, I love to travel and meet people in foreign lands and learn how to get along with them. Hell, I married a foreigner I met while traveling. (We Swedes are known for being tolerant and open-minded.)
But I would never fool myself into thinking that I could “fully integrate,” nor would I want to. Part of the fun of traveling is knowing that you don’t belong and enjoying that ride.
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As someone who has lived in foreign countries for most of my life, as I get older I realise that however well I speak and write English (to the extent that everyone assumes I am a native speaker) there are voids in my cultural knowledge that mean I don’t totally “get” everything that’s implied in some situations. (Frustratingly, I find I also have some similar gaps when I visit my home country, but I would say that there is still a different ease when I hang out there and speak my first language…)
I do think there is a wide streak of common humanity, though, and much misunderstanding can be overcome with mutual generosity of spirit, tolerance and above all humour! Perhaps to seek “full integration” is a false goal, we might instead celebrate our diversity and seek to learn and grow through cultural understanding
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