Evolutionary Approaches to Creativity
Liane Gabora, Scott Barry Kaufman

TL;DR
This paper explores the evolution of human creativity from biological, cultural, and social perspectives, examining anatomical, archaeological, and evolutionary factors that have shaped our unique creative capacities.
Contribution
It synthesizes interdisciplinary research to provide a comprehensive view of how human creativity evolved biologically and culturally, highlighting new insights into the forces driving creative development.
Findings
Human brain anatomy constraints influence creativity
Cultural evolution of ideas accelerates creative diversity
Creative behavior may be linked to social and reproductive advantages
Abstract
Many species engage in acts that could be called creative. However, human creativity is unique in that it has transformed our planet. Given that the anatomy of the human brain is not so different from that of the great apes, what enables us to be so creative? Recent collaborations at the frontier of anthropology, archaeology, psychology, and cognitive science are culminating in speculative but increasingly sophisticated efforts to answer to this question. Examining the skeletons of our ancestors gives cues as to anatomical constraints that hindered or made possible various kinds of creative expression. Relics of the past have much to tell us about the thoughts, beliefs, and creative abilities of the people who invented and used them. How the spectacular creativity of humans came about is the first topic addressed in this chapter. Studies at the intersection of creativity and evolution…
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Taxonomy
TopicsCreativity in Education and Neuroscience
