Small networks, evolution of knowledge and species longevity: Theoretical integration and empirical test☆

How do small groups play pivotal roles of invention and innovation in (human) organizations and cultures? Economic theories of human capital, i.e., knowledge-skills—provide classic formulations. The economic theories of human capital as intrinsic to societal development and physical survival have direct connections to small group theory of learning through communication and socioemotional interaction. These theories have important parallels in biological theories of the evolution of human intelligence. They are supplemented by social exchange theory and the ecological dominance-social-competition model. These theoretical approaches are common to the overlapping disciplines of social anthropology, sociology and the social psychology of small group behavior.