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Explicit memories, also known as declarative memories, are consciously remembered, recalled, and reported. Studying for a chemistry exam involves material that will become part of explicit memory. There are two types of explicit memory: episodic and semantic.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

Cultural memory.

Kevin N Laland¹, Luke Rendell

¹Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, UK.

Current Biology : CB

|September 14, 2013

Summary

Humans possess a unique externalized memory system, transmitting knowledge across generations via cultural traditions and artifacts. Research is actively exploring how this advanced capability evolved from simpler animal traditions.

Area of Science:

Evolutionary Anthropology
Cognitive Science
Cultural Evolution

Background:

Humans exhibit a sophisticated form of externalized memory.
This memory is transmitted across generations through learned cultural traditions.
Knowledge is preserved in tangible artifacts, extending human cognitive abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the evolutionary origins of human externalized memory.
To understand the transition from simpler animal traditions to complex human cultural transmission.
To investigate the mechanisms of intergenerational knowledge preservation.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of animal and human social learning.
Archaeological evidence of artifact-based knowledge storage.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 7, 2026

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection

Published on: August 26, 2011

The (Spatial) Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

The (Spatial) Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

Published on: February 19, 2018

Theoretical modeling of cultural transmission pathways.

Main Results:

Identified key stages in the evolution of cumulative culture.
Demonstrated the role of symbolic communication in knowledge preservation.
Highlighted the significance of social structures in facilitating information transfer.

Conclusions:

Human externalized memory represents a significant evolutionary leap.
Cultural traditions and artifacts are crucial for cumulative knowledge building.
Further research is needed to fully elucidate the evolutionary trajectory from animal to human memory systems.