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Henrich argues that humans are the most successful species on the planet - not because they are especially intelligent (they are not), and not because they are especially strong or fast (they are not), and not because they are particularly good at improvisational intelligence and causal modelling (they are not), and not because they have highly evolved cooperative instincts or social intelligence or mind reading, but because they have evolved to become a cultural species. Natural selection has favoured individuals who are cultural learners; it has produced genetically evolved psychological adaptations for learning from others; and it has even produced anatomies and physiological systems that are shaped by culture (e.g., the precision grip, the shrunken gut, lactose tolerance). Describe, explain and evaluate Henrich's claims that it is cultural evolution that makes humans unique in the animal kingdom, and that it is culture that is the primary driving force in human evolution. Is this plausible? Are there any problems with it?
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