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On the other hand, on the gene first. For most of the evolutionary history of life has been ruled by genes. When the cultural evolution is beginning to escape, and more than genetic evolution is hard to say, because in every species in every population, we must accelerate the evolution of the various receipts in a different rate. But simply because we do not know when cultural evolution take over, and because of the fact that the existence of genes, first of all, we should use all of our research funding to investigate gene and virtually all the scientific and cultural evolution?           A Science of Cultural Evolution     The most vexing question scientists have ever tackled is also one of the most familiar questions in everyday life: Why do people behave the way they behave? Despite huge advances during the last century in biology, psychology, and anthropology, this question is still as mysterious as ever. To begin to comprehend the nature of behavior requires a thorough understanding of the process of cultural evolution, because we have evolved to act in terms of others' actions, usually by simply mimicking them. Of course, we Homo sapiens make choices about whom to mimic, and our replications of others' behavior usually begins with some creative original act, but these are not prerequisites to culture. Every individual human being replicates the actions of many others. Cultural evolution has had a profound impact on the social fabric of animal life, and its effects will only increase with the passage of time. Animals may not choose whom to mimic, and those chosen may not be doing anything particularly creative, and yet cultural transmission can still be a powerful force.   The zoological work on cultural evolution reveals strange and even amazing facts about animals no matter how large or small their brains are—indeed, some just barely have what we can call a brain. The actions of a few individuals, or even a single one, can dramatically shift the evolutionary future of a particular population fundamentally because individuals are keen copiers. If a few individuals all of a sudden prefer behavior X rather than Y and others copy this, our population is now full of Xers and may stay that way. Or behavior Z might pop up on the scene, and depending upon who does it and who watches, Z might become more and more common. And remember, these shifts are not necessarily due to one behavioral strategy's being more fit (in genetic terms) than another. An individual did something original, and it simply became fashionable. That is a dramatic break with standard genetic theory.   On the other hand, genes were first. For most of evolutionary history, life has been ruled by genes. Exactly when cultural evolution began to run away and outpace genetic evolution is hard to say, because in each species, in each population, the pace of each kind of evolution proceeds at a different rate. But simply because we don't know when cultural evolution took over, and because of the fact that genes existed first, should we spend all our scientific research funds on investigating genes and virtually none on the science of cultural evolution?   Orders of magnitude separate the numbers of scientists sequencing genes form those studying the evolution of culture. Could there be an equivalent of the Human Genome Project for cultural evolution? Right now it would be premature because there is still no unified theory of the biology of culture. But just as sequencing genes will have a profound impact on human life, so too can understanding the roots of cultural behavior. The more we understand the nature of why animals do what animals do, the more we understand ourselves. We can't predict specific results immediately from that enterprise, but we can be certain it will be profoundly valuable.   The implications of a comprehensive theory of cultural evolution will be tremendous. I believe that the establishment of such a scientific theory will be no less profound in the history of our species than the landmarks of achievement we have seen in physics in the last century, such as Einstein's theory of relativity and quantum field theory.       — Lee Alan Dugatkin, The Imitation Factor: Evolution Beyond The Gene, Afterword – Understanding Our Behavior                     Indexes/15