Quantifying information content using population genetics concepts and equations to develop new insights into information distribution in human communities

Andrea Miranda Paez , Kelsey McCune, Kelly H. Dunning, Bradley J. Swanson, Janna R. Willoughby

Information evolves within human societies in ways that parallel the evolution of genes in biological populations. Applying classical population genetics equations, we developed a framework in which the rates of learning and forgetting define the net balance of informational change, and directional exchange among groups can be represented as information flow. We apply this framework to a 43-year corpus of policy documents, court decisions, and media coverage concerning grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) management. We quantified topic turnover, temporal trends, and pairwise information flow among executive, legislative, journalistic, and Non-governmental Organization actors. Directional flow analyses revealed that journalists and executive actors were key sources of information influencing legislative uptake in conflict and legal discourse. In contrast, governmental actors shaped the communication of Non-governmental Organizations within science themes. These findings provide a foundation for examining how conservation information diffuses through governance systems.