`ludovic.maisonneuve@mnhn.fr`
- |
    \
    Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8524, Inria – Laboratoire Paul Painlevé\
    F-59000 Lille, France\
    Email: `thomas.rey@univ-lille.fr`
author:
- Sylvain Billiard
- Maxime Derex
- Ludovic Maisonneuve
- Thomas Rey
bibliography:
- 'refs.bib'
title: 'Convergence of knowledge in a cultural evolution model with population structure, random social learning and credibility biases'
---

Introduction
============

On social learning
------------------

Computers, spaceships and scientific theories have not been invented by single, isolated individuals. Instead, they result from a collective process in which innovations are gradually added to an existing pool of knowledge, most often over multiple generations [@Boyd2011; @Richerson2005]. The ability to learn from others (*social learning*) is pivotal to that process because it allows innovations to be shared and be built upon by other individuals.

This process, termed *cumulative culture*, has been extensively studied by evolutionary anthropologists, both theoretically and experimentally [@Henrich2014; @Powell2009; @Derex2013; @Muthukrishna2014]. Most existing theoretical models, however, rely on strong assumptions and omit important aspects of social dynamics. For instance, previous models typically assume that individuals learn from the most skilled member of their social group. Yet, in real life, many reasons can prevent this strategy to come about: individuals might fail to evaluate each other’s 