Meme, like genes, are selected against other specific memes and other groupings of memes. Meme pools adapt to particular environments in cooperative, successful, evolutionary self-replicating manners. (Blackmore, p. XV Forward) Genes work in similar ways, although obviously their methods are totally different.
Memes and genes are both units of natural selection. They are both replicators, units of which copies are made (with occasional errors). Genetic natural selection has been the driving force of all evolution. But, mimetic natural selection helps to explain why we human are so unique from all other animals, particularly in our behaviour, intelligence and social cooperation. Memes are all about our natural ability to imitate. That ability is extremely rare in other animals. Learning by imitation is what we do that makes us unique as human beings. (Blackmore, p.4)
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