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The article explores the recent attempts by researchers to apply evolutionary culture theory (ECT) in analyzing stasis and change in human cultural systems. It explains the principles that embody the ECT, with regards to cultures, cultural systems and cultural phylogeny. It argues that ECT is isolated from mainstream concerns in anthropology and related social sciences. It also tests the belief that evolutionary culture theory does not require an impoverished conceptualization of culture. It reviews various studies on the use of ECT in analyzing stasis and transformations in human cultural systems.

The article reflects on cultural evolution. Several pioneering efforts in the direction of cultural evolution have been witnessed in the last decade. There have been five leading theoretical formulations, pointing out similarities, differences, and specific contributions to the evolving subfield of evolutionary culture theory. A possibility has been seen that the cultural systems known to anthropology trace back to multiple independent ancestors. Moreover, several properties of social and cultural anthropology are either part of local cultural systems.

A preface to the "Annual Review of Anthropology" is presented.

A preface for the Volume 37, 2008 issue of "Annual Review of Anthropology" is presented.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue concerning anthropology.

A preface to articles on anthropology published in this periodical is presented.