15. Human Behavioural Ecology Flashcards
What four things have been shaped in humans via natural selection over hundreds of thousands of years?
Morphology
Life history
Behaviour
Psychology
Around 10,000 years ago what occurred?
The discovery of agriculture - domestication of plants and animals
Around 8,000 years ago most humans relied on what?
Farming
How many hunter-gatherer societies are there in the present day?
53 listed (1999)
How many hunter-gatherer societies are there in the present day?
53 listed (1999)
Why do some scientist chose to study ‘traditional’ societies? (Hunter-gatherer)
They lack access to modern medicine and technology so have the best chance of detecting presence of cost/benefits which have shaped behaviour
Why do some scientist chose to study ‘traditional’ societies? (Hunter-gatherer)
They lack access to modern medicine and technology so have the best chance of detecting presence of cost/benefits which have shaped behaviour
Why do some scientist chose to study ‘traditional’ societies? (Hunter-gatherer)
They lack access to modern medicine and technology so have the best chance of detecting presence of cost/benefits which have shaped behaviour
What explanations are there for differences between how males and females hunt?
Males hunt large animal prey, females gather plant material and other small package resources.
Possibly division of labour, possibly male hunting used as a method of ‘showing off’
What explanations are there for differences between how males and females hunt?
Males hunt large animal prey, females gather plant material and other small package resources.
Possibly division of labour, possibly male hunting used as a method of ‘showing off’
What is the polygyny threshold model?
Polygynous where the male has a high quality territory, monogamous where the male has a low quality territory
In what kind of mating systems is bridewealth particularly common?
In polygynous systems - males have high quality resources and high male-male competition.
What three factors can influence human parental investment?
1) future success of sons vs daughters (greater prospects = more PI)
2) who provides the help (help givers = more PI)
3) who competes for reproduction (more intense competition = less PI)
What three factors can influence human parental investment?
1) future success of sons vs daughters (greater prospects = more PI)
2) who provides the help (help givers = more PI)
3) who competes for reproduction (more intense competition = less PI)
Poor (human) parents invest in which offspring?
That which has the lowest variance in reproductive success
