Intensification, tipping points, and social change in a coupled forager-resource system

Human Nature • Vol/Iss. 23(4) • Springer • • Published In • Pages: 419-446 •
By Freeman, Jacob, Anderies, John M.

Abstract

The authors present a bioeconomic model of hunter-gatherer foraging effort to quantitatively represent forager intensification. Using cross-cultural data, the model is evaluated as a means to better understand variation in residential stability and resource ownership.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
OtherBinford (2001)

Hypotheses (4)

HypothesisSupported
"The relationship between population density and mean residence time is a positive, increasing curvilinear function (434)"Supported
"A critical threshold change should occur where the slope of the relationship between habitat residence time and population density changes dramatically, suggesting two distinct social regimes (434)"Supported
"social regimes should manifest among groups with and without institutional ownership (434)"; groups with formal resource ownership will exhibit higher slope in the relationship between time in a habitat and population densitySupported
"Holding population density constant, forager groups should increase the time they spend within a habitat as the rate of resource growth in a habitat declines (434)"Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: emily.pitek