Geography is not destiny: A quantitative test of Diamond's axis of orientation hypothesis

Evolutionary Human Sciences • Vol/Iss. 6 • Cambridge University Press • • Published In • Pages: e5 •
By Chira, Angela M., Gray, Russell D. , Botero, Carlos A.

Abstract

Jared Diamond previously argued that the East-West orientation of Eurasia allowed for the spread of substantial cultural, political, technological, and military innovations, due to environmental homogeneity across the continent. The authors of this article test this theory through quantitative analyses. Their results suggest that ecology can indeed influence the potential for cultural transmission, consistent with Diamond's theory. However, the authors do not find support for Eurasia having lower environmental barriers to cultural transmission in comparison to other continents.
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