Quantitative Biology

Accelerating Information Transmission in the Evolution of Intelligent Life

Authors: Nicholas Hoggard
Comments: 42 Pages.

If making tools by hand was important in human evolution, was the use of tools to make tools just as important, or less so? As it happens, these two innovations each needed their own new method of teaching in order to pass them on to new generations. We could say that — from the teaching point of view — they are equal. We know of seven teaching methods from cultural evolution, all still in use, and each one associated with an evolutionary milestone (namely: cumulative culture, tool use, toolmaking, tool-made tools, composite tools, new inventions and new livelihoods).But there is something more that connects these teaching events. Together they form a simple geometric time sequence in which the time interval between successive events is shorter than the previous interval by the same factor, 4.6692... (the "Feigenbaum Constant δ"). The phenomenon of events accelerating by the Feigenbaum Constant δ is known in Chaos Theory as a "Feigenbaum Cascade" and is found in various non-linear dynamic systems, such as dripping taps, population dynamics, and various kinds of oscillator.Cherry-picking of data to fit the time-pattern is avoided because the teaching levels were identified without reference to date other than in which order they appeared.Teaching is cultural transmission of information. Extrapolating the Feigenbaum Cascade backwards in time indicates two events of genetic transmission of information (namely, self- replicating cells, and sexual reproduction). Extrapolating forwards in time indicates events involving writing-based transmission of information (in the form of written language, printing machines, and the computer).The sequence suggests that there will be future events, due to reach a conclusion around the year 2200.The hypothesis presented here is:u2022 that these information transmission events form a Feigenbaum Cascade. u2022 that each event is associated with a new means of adaptation.It follows that the timing of the levels of evolution is predictable. I suggest a mechanism for the Feigenbaum Cascade and a tentative description of the evolution levels.
Category: Quantitative Biology