The evolution of daily food sharing: A Bayesian phylogenetic analysis

Evolution and Human Behavior • Vol/Iss. 40(4) • Elsevier • • Published In • Pages: ??•
By Ringen, Erik J. , Duda, Pavel, Jaeggi, Adrian V.

Abstract

The research examines daily food sharing norms of 73 preindustrial societies from the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample. Multilevel regression models reveal that hunting and less predictable environments are not indicative of everyday food sharing, but offer support for many other predictions. Animal husbandry, external trade, daily labor sharing, and the presence of food storage are all predictive of daily food sharing practices whereas sharing is less common amongst large and stratified societies. These results align with evolutionary theories for food sharing practices.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Standard Cross Cultural Sample (SCCS)Previously coded data Ember et al. (2018)

Hypotheses (8)

HypothesisSupported
Societies relying on animal husbandry for subsistence will tend not to have daily sharing between households.Supported
Societies relying on hunting will have more daily food sharing than those relying on other forms of subsistence.Not Supported
Societies with food storing technology will have less daily food sharing norms than those where technology is absent.Supported
Societies with less predictable environments will have more daily food sharing norms than those with more predictable environments.Not Supported
Societies with daily labor sharing will be more likely to also have regular, daily food sharing norms than those without daily labor sharing.Supported
Societies with external trade of food will be less likely to have daily food sharing norms than those where external food exchange is absent.Supported
Societies that are smaller in community size will have more daily food sharing norms than those that are larger.Supported
Societies with minimal or no social stratification will have more daily food sharing norms than those with greater stratification.Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: matthew.g.roth  milagro.escobar  anj.droe