PACIFIC: Canoe design gives clues on cultural evolution
Updated
A study of how Polynesian canoe designs have changed over the centuries has provided new insights into how cultures change and evolve. US academics Paul Ehrlich and Deborah Rogers, from Stanford University in California, analysed the way canoes were assembled and decorated over a long time period. They found that while decorative patterns changed quite rapidly, more essential design features such as outriggers, masts or styles of lashing changed much more slowly.
Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speakers: Biologist Dr Paul Ehrlich, Professor of Population Studies at Stanford University in California
