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IMAGE: A map of the global distribution of human ethnolinguistic groups (blue) and mammal species (red). (Figure: Hamilton et al, Scientific Reports) view more
Credit: (Figure: Hamilton et al, Scientific Reports)
Most forms of life species of mammals, birds, plants, reptiles, amphibians, etc. are most diverse at Earth s equator and least diverse at the poles. This distribution is called the latitudinal gradient of biodiversity.
A group of Santa Fe Institute collaborators was intrigued by the fact that human cultural diversity shows exactly the same distribution with latitude: human cultures are more diverse near the equator and least at the poles. Their big question was: why? Life is more diverse within richer environments, but it s not clear why human cultural diversity would show this pattern too.