The Ontogenetic Synthesis: Reconciling Dual Inheritance and Cultural Attractors via Time-Dependent Agency

The Ontogenetic Synthesis: Reconciling Dual Inheritance and Cultural Attractors via Time-Dependent Agency | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The Ontogenetic Synthesis: Reconciling Dual Inheritance and Cultural Attractors via Time-Dependent Agency Yavuz Dağ This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8650467/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The mechanisms of cultural transmission have long been debated between two dominant frameworks: Dual Inheritance Theory (DIT) and Cultural Attractor Theory (CAT). This paper articulates the Ontogenetic Synthesis, a comprehensive framework positing that these mechanisms operate sequentially within the human life history. Central to this synthesis is the Ontogenetic Principle of Cultural Dynamics (OPCD). Using a formal derivation based on linear response approximations, we demonstrate that DIT and CAT can be understood not as competing alternatives, but as limiting cases of a continuous ontogenetic parameterization governed by the maturation of agentic control. Evolutionary Biology Population Biology Computational Biology Cultural Evolution Dual Inheritance Theory Cultural Attractor Theory Ontogeny Cognitive Agency Life History Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8650467","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":577541143,"identity":"2e9da441-81a2-485a-99aa-2a015005ec67","order_by":0,"name":"Yavuz Dağ","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA9UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDCCA1Dafv7DxgdAmoePaC0GDMnNBiAtbCRoSW+TADEIauE7fvyaxM+2w/bmDAfbKr/m2MmwMTA/fHQDjxbJMzllkr1th5ktGxvbbstuSwY6jM3YOAePFoMDOWkSPGcOszEcZmy7LbmNGaiFh00ar5bzb9Ik/5w5zMNwjLGtWHJbPRFabqQfk+apOCxhcIaxjfHjtsOEtUjeeMNsLVORbiA5g7FZmnHbcR42ZgJ+4Tuf/vDmGwNre34J9ocff26rtudnb374GJ8WYNyZSMCYzDxgEq9yEGB//AHGZPxBUPUoGAWjYBSMRAAAQs1KB+BxP+8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Istanbul Gedik University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yavuz","middleName":"","lastName":"Dağ","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-20 15:07:43","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8650467/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8650467/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":100858154,"identity":"fc0ba92a-569b-4945-bcfd-4d165ada57c9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 07:23:57","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2457211,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Continuationpaper51.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8650467/v1_covered_e12ad1af-ede9-4013-89ef-7d3b51d030ad.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Ontogenetic Synthesis: Reconciling Dual Inheritance and Cultural Attractors via Time-Dependent Agency\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Gedik University","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Cultural Evolution, Dual Inheritance Theory, Cultural Attractor Theory, Ontogeny, Cognitive Agency, Life History","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8650467/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8650467/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe mechanisms of cultural transmission have long been debated between two dominant frameworks: Dual Inheritance Theory (DIT) and Cultural Attractor Theory (CAT). 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