Quote Originally Posted by OakLeaf View Post
I don't think the Amish are a good example (because their transport is dictated by church dogma, not by "evolution"), but even so, the reason they rely on horse and buggy is specifically to keep the communities united - to make it difficult for people to travel and interact outside of the sphere in which they themselves are directly affected - so that would be another example of transport being dictated by society and not the other way around.
mmm - didn't you just prove my point? Transportation has evolved around the Amish society, not the other way around. Exactly what you said. I think they are a perfect example of society driving transport, I can't think of any other case where it is that clear-cut. Every other case I can think of is a mix, at least in the 21st century.
Which is another point - if you asked this question 100 years ago, would the answer be different?