Abstract
Demography is central to biological, behavioral, and cultural evolution. Knowledge of the demography of prehistoric populations of both Homo sapiens and earlier members of the genus Homo is, therefore, key to the study of human evolution. Unfortunately, demographic processes (fertility, mortality, migration) leave little mark on the archeological and paleoanthropological records. One common solution to this issue is the application of demographic data from extant hunter-gatherers to prehistory. With the aim of strengthening this line of enquiry, here we outline some pitfalls and their interpretative implications. In doing so, we provide recommendations about the application of hunter-gatherer data to the study of demographic trends throughout human evolution. We use published demographic data from extant hunter-gatherers to show that it is the diversity seen among extant hunter-gatherers-both intra- and inter-population variability-that is most relevant and useful for understanding past hunter-gatherer demography.
Highlights
Using the example of total fertility rate (TFR), we demonstrate below why taking the average hunter-gatherer parameter is problematic when attempting to reconstruct fertility in prehistory
These pitfalls have varying methodological and theoretical implications but share two common elements: (a) they are often caused by poor communication between those studying past and present hunter-gatherers; (b) they mask variation in the demography of hunter-gatherer groups, past and present
Given the sparse nature of the prehistoric database and the limited range of demographic variables on which it directly informs, data from extant hunter-gatherers will always play a key role in reconstructing prehistoric demography
Summary
Evolution is driven by the propagation of genes, which is determined by the key processes of survival (mortality), fertility, and dispersal (migration) of individuals.[1,2] Demographic trends influence the age- and sexstructure of a society, altering the balance between kin and non-kin within individuals' social networks,[3] with consequences for cooperation, parental investment, and information exchange.[4,5,6] Demography further influences the development and variability of human culture, through its recognized role in trait transmission and cumulative culture.[7,8] Knowledge of the demography of prehistoric populations of both Homo sapiens and earlier members of the genus Homo has the potential to offer vital insights into human evolution across multiple domains.
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