Protoculture
Encyclopedia
In physical anthropology
, protoculture is the passing of behaviours from one generation to another among non-human
primate
s. These cultures are very rudimentary, and do not exhibit complex cultural technology.
For example, tool usage is learned between generations within chimpanzee troupes. One troupe of chimpanzees may exhibit a learned behavior unique from another troupe of chimpanzees, such as various tool usage. Some chimpanzee troupes have been observed consuming aspilia, possibly for medicinal purposes, because it has been seen to remove intestinal parasites, and is otherwise unpalatable.
Physical anthropology
Biological anthropology is that branch of anthropology that studies the physical development of the human species. It plays an important part in paleoanthropology and in forensic anthropology...
, protoculture is the passing of behaviours from one generation to another among non-human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
s. These cultures are very rudimentary, and do not exhibit complex cultural technology.
For example, tool usage is learned between generations within chimpanzee troupes. One troupe of chimpanzees may exhibit a learned behavior unique from another troupe of chimpanzees, such as various tool usage. Some chimpanzee troupes have been observed consuming aspilia, possibly for medicinal purposes, because it has been seen to remove intestinal parasites, and is otherwise unpalatable.