Human Behavioral Ecology Research Articles

Beyond the here and now: hunter-gatherer socio-spatial complexity and the evolution of language.

Human evolutionary ecology stands to benefit by integrating theory and methods developed in movement ecology, and in turn, to make contributions to the broader field of movement ecology by leveraging our species' distinct attributes. In this paper, we review data and evolutionary models suggesting that major changes in socio-spatial behaviour accompanied the evolution of language. To illustrate and explore these issues, we present a comparison of GPS measures of the socio-spatial behaviour of Hadza hunter-gatherers of northern Tanzania to those of olive baboons (Papio anubis), a comparatively small-brained primate that is also savanna-adapted. While standard spatial metrics show modest differences, measures of spatial diversity, landscape exploration and spatiotemporal displacement between individuals differ markedly. Groups of Hadza foragers rapidly accumulate a vast, diverse knowledge pool about places and things over the horizon, contrasting with the baboon's narrower and more homogeneous pool of ecological information. The larger and more complex socio-spatial world illustrated by the Hadza is one where heightened cognitive abilities for spatial and episodic memory, navigation, perspective taking and communication about things beyond the here and now all have clear value.This article is part of the theme issue 'The spatial-social interface: a theoretical and empirical integration'.

Settlement Selection and Inequality in Video Games through an Anthropological Lens

For thousands of years, humans have been entertained by board games. The earliest documented game boards date to at least 6000 BC in the Near East (Sebbane 2001), and we know the name, Senet, and rules of a board game from Egypt dating to 3500–3100 BC. Aspects of inequality are omnipresent in the dynamics of the competition and cooperation inherent in games. In this review, I assess the digital version of the board game Catan, which is also called Catan Universe, discussing how anthropological theories such as human behavioral ecology are recognizable in the digital game. Playing this game provides a unique way to test models of inequality.

A practical guide to cross-cultural and multi-sited data collection in the biological and behavioural sciences.

Researchers in the biological and behavioural sciences are increasingly conducting collaborative, multi-sited projects to address how phenomena vary across ecologies. These types of projects, however, pose additional workflow challenges beyond those typically encountered in single-sited projects. Through specific attention to cross-cultural research projects, we highlight four key aspects of multi-sited projects that must be considered during the design phase to ensure success: (1) project and team management; (2) protocol and instrument development; (3) data management and documentation; and (4) equitable and collaborative practices. Our recommendations are supported by examples from our experiences collaborating on the Evolutionary Demography of Religion project, a mixed-methods project collecting data across five countries in collaboration with research partners in each host country. To existing discourse, we contribute new recommendations around team and project management, introduce practical recommendations for exploring the validity of instruments through qualitative techniques during piloting, highlight the importance of good documentation at all steps of the project, and demonstrate how data management workflows can be strengthened through open science practices. While this project was rooted in cross-cultural human behavioural ecology and evolutionary anthropology, lessons learned from this project are applicable to multi-sited research across the biological and behavioural sciences.

Why human behavioral ecology needs behavioral genetics: The problem of phenotypic gambit.

Why human behavioral ecology needs behavioral genetics: The problem of phenotypic gambit.

We the hunted

Classic depictions of human evolutionary ecology cast Homo as predator and other hominins, including Paranthropus robustus, as prey. Such hypotheses rest on a small number of fossils that exhibit evidence of carnivore predation, including the iconic SK 54 cranium from Swartkrans in South Africa. Here we demonstrate that the SK 54 cranium shares its closest affinities with H. erectus sensu lato rather than P. robustus. Demonstrating that Homo was prey for leopards at Swartkrans weakens the historically significant hypothesis that Homo was better able to avoid predation because of being behaviourally and technologically advanced compared to Paranthropus. Subsequent ideas about hominin palaeobiology derived from this hypothesis warrant reconsideration.

Jeans and language: kin networks and reproductive success are associated with the adoption of outgroup norms.

Traditional norms of human societies in rural China may have changed owing to population expansion, rapid development of the tourism economy and globalization since the 1990s; people from different ethnic groups might adopt cultural traits from outside their group or lose their own culture at different rates. Human behavioural ecology can help to explain adoption of outgroup cultural values. We compared the adoption of four cultural values, specifically speaking outgroup languages/mother tongue and wearing jeans, in two co-residing ethnic groups, the Mosuo and Han. Both groups are learning outgroup traits, including each other's languages through contact in economic activities, education and kin networks, but only the Mosuo are starting to lose their own language. Males are more likely to adopt outgroup values than females in both groups. Females of the two groups are no different in speaking Mandarin and wearing jeans, whereas males do differ, with Mosuo males being keener to adopt them than Han males. The reason might be that Mosuo men experience more reproductive competition over mates, as Mosuo men have larger reproductive skew than others. Moreover, Mosuo men but not others gain fitness benefits from the adoption of Mandarin (they start reproducing earlier than non-speakers). This article is part of the theme issue 'Social norm change: drivers and consequences'.

Child and adolescent foraging: New directions in evolutionary research.

Young children and adolescents in subsistence societies forage for a wide range of resources. They often target child-specific foods, they can be very successful foragers, and they share their produce widely within and outside of their nuclear family. At the same time, while foraging, they face risky situations and are exposed to diseases that can influence their immune development. However, children's foraging has largely been explained in light of their future (adult) behavior. Here, we reinterpret findings from human behavioral ecology, evolutionary medicine and cultural evolution to center foraging children's contributions to life history evolution, community resilience and immune development. We highlight the need to foreground immediate alongside delayed benefits and costs of foraging, including inclusive fitness benefits, when discussing children's food production from an evolutionary perspective. We conclude by recommending that researchers carefully consider children's social and ecological context, develop cross-cultural perspectives, and incorporate children's foraging into Indigenous sovereignty discourse.

Ancient Alaskan Fuel Selectivity Strategies

In ancient Alaska, people allocated wood, bone, and oil for both fuel and non-fuel purposes, which required careful management. By examining these resources through the lens of human behavioral ecology (HBE) and the principle of least effort (PLE), we can understand fuel use—especially woody fuel use—from the standpoint of selectivity, wherein ancient people considered energetic output, handling costs, and state when choosing fuel sources. At any given site, some degree of firewood selectivity, ranging from complete indifference to marked discrimination, would have been most advantageous. Accordingly, ancient Alaskans at Cape Espenberg, Gerstle River, Hungry Fox, and Walakpa would have employed different fuel management strategies tailored according to their evolving needs. Results suggest that firewood indifference was more common, and that selectivity was advantageous only at longer-term occupations where fuel was abundant. Otherwise, proximity and handling costs trumped the benefits of taxon-specific selectivity, which is a strategy meant to confer desired combustion outcomes. Detecting when and where it was beneficial for ancient Alaskans to be selective grants insight into how they categorized fuel and adapted their fuel selection behaviors to fit particular circumstances. Moreover, the restrictions imposed by finite fuel availability have general implications for settlement patterns and mobility that may help trace ancient migration routes as hunter-gatherers leap-frogged from one fuel patch to another.

Developing evolutionary anthropology in local ecosystems.

The traditional regional focus of evolutionary anthropology-typically defined as places where hominin fossils, nonhuman primates, and non-western populations reside-forms the basis of much evolutionary anthropological research. Using the highly biodiverse temperate region of Appalachia as an example, we suggest that evolutionary anthropologists have much to gain by stepping outside of this traditional geographic area. Being purposely provocative, we argue that evolutionary anthropologists might also benefit from conducting research in Appalachia and other temperate ecosystems. We briefly discuss multiple areas of study-including studies of seed dispersal, functional redundancy, convergent evolution, human behavioral ecology, and conservation-and how they can be considered within the purview of integrative and evolutionary anthropology. We also highlight broader impacts to higher education that evolutionary anthropologists can help promote by working in local ecosystems.

Stigma of sickle cell disease among Indian tribal population: A multi-centric qualitative study

BackgroundSickle Cell Disease (SCD) is the most prevalent hemoglobinopathy, impacting around 5% of the global population. The Indian tribal population, which has been a key focus of the Indian SCD program, can experience health-related stigma due to the multidimensional impact of the disease. This preliminary qualitative inquiry delves into the lived experiences of individuals and synthesizes domains to identify the sources of stigma. MethodologyThe study's framework for developing the stigma tool was rooted in Bronfenbrenner's Ecology of Human Development. The study was implemented in five tribal-dominated districts of India and involved in-depth interviews with sickle cell disease (SCD) patients and their caregivers to explore their stigmatizing experiences. ResultsThe analysis revealed four overarching themes and several subthemes explaining the type of stigma, its source, and factors contributing to stigmatization. First, the study focused on elements associated with perceived stigma, such as disclosure, self-isolation/refusal to participate, and self-judgment. The second theme pertained to the internalization of stigma. The third theme addressed experienced stigma concerning the disease's impact on day-to-day events, and the fourth theme explored the support system patients needed. The framework highlighted the varying degrees of stigmatizing components within different aspects of patients' ecology. ConclusionOur study highlights the importance of addressing stigma at various levels. Policies, programs, and healthcare interventions must target stigma across these levels. Culturally adaptive tools for identifying stigma, implementing appropriate interventions, and improving healthcare participation are essential for enhancing the quality of life and reducing the disease burden.

An ecological perspective on children’s play with digital technologies in South Africa and the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT This paper reports a mixed-methods study of the play of children (3–11) with digital technologies in South Africa (SA) and the United Kingdom (UK), discussing the interrelatedness of access to devices and the Internet, contextual realities, and adult-child relations. An adapted ecological model [Bronfenbrenner (1979) The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press] guided analysis. Parents and carers in the UK were more likely than their SA counterparts to report children's engagement in object, construction and transgressive digital play, correlating with access differences, especially to tablet devices. However, play incorporating technologies was extensive, even in contexts in SA with limited access to a wide range of devices or readily available internet. Despite relying primarily on smartphones, children in SA were more likely to create digital content unassisted than those in the UK. The qualitative data complicate understandings of particular play types, including transgressive digital play.

A scoping review of the use of theory in positive youth development and athlete transition literature

ABSTRACT The psychosocial development of young people in sports settings continues to be a popular area of study. Researchers examining youth athletes may draw on developmental theories from broader fields of psychology when choosing which psychosocial outcomes to study. However, it is currently unclear which theories inform youth sport research, and how these theories have been used. Therefore, a scoping review of the literature in positive youth development and youth athlete transitions in sport was conducted to investigate the use of theory in these areas. Two databases were systematically searched (APA PsychINFO and SportDiscus) and 10,453 abstracts were screened for inclusion in the review. Information was extracted from 207 articles and dissertations. Results indicated that the most-used theories included Ecological Theories of Human Development, (Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. University Press) and Self-Determination Theory (Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.). Theories were most often used in peripheral ways to contextualise or discuss research findings (Sandelowski, (1993). Theory unmasked: The uses and guises of theory in qualitative research. Research in Nursing & Health, 16(3), 213–218.). The use of theory more centrally (e.g. theory testing) was less common. In the future, researchers could draw on theories more fully to guide their hypotheses, examine whether non-developmental theories are appropriate to use with different populations, and ensure that research in youth sport is informed by theoretical progress in developmental psychology.

School of Rocks: a Transmission Time Investment Model for Pleistocene Lithic Technology

We propose a transmission time investment model for integrating the tenets of human behavioral ecology and cultural evolutionary theory to investigate agency and optimality in the social transmission of lithic technologies. While the cultural transmission process is often overlooked in discussions of optimality, we view it as a critical area for the application of adaptive reasoning to further understand the mechanisms responsible for change in lithic technologies. The proposed model modifies a technological intensification model based on the marginal value theorem (Bettinger et al. Journal of Archaeological Science, 33(4), 538–545, 2006; Mohlenhoff and Codding Evolutionary Anthropology, 26(5), 218–227, 2017) to explore how transmissibility may have affected the complexity of socially transmitted lithic production systems during the Pleistocene. This transmission investment model is contrasted with a passive demographic model derived from traditional explanations for changes in lithic technologies. To highlight how optimal considerations of transmissibility may have affected the long-term evolution of lithic technologies, we apply this model to three Pleistocene archaeological case studies investigating increases and decreases in lithic technological complexity. We propose that technological changes in each of these case studies is consistent with the predictions of the model, suggesting that time management strategies may have played a role in the long-term evolution of Pleistocene technologies. It is unlikely that transmission constraints alone were wholly responsible for the observed patterns, and future research should refine the measures of time availability and cost used here, as well as explore the interplay between transmission investment and other optimizing and social constraints.

Bargaining and interdependence: Common parent‐offspring conflict resolution strategies among Chon Chuuk and their implications for suicidal behavior

AbstractThe anthropology of Pacific cultures spotlights social conflict as a proximate cause of suicide. Ethnographic accounts suggest that suicidal behaviors are high‐cost conflict‐resolution strategies. We investigate parent‐child conflicts and the strategies adolescents and young adults use to resolve them, using concepts from human behavioral ecology to interpret results from in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with 58 Chon Chuuk participants. One strategy for resolving conflicts in one's favor is to impose costs through the threat or use of violence, but an alternative strategy for those who lack social power or formidability involves social withdrawal, or withholding cooperation, until the interdependent parties reach an agreement. The Chuukese term amwunumwun refers to a spectrum of social withdrawal, including avoidance, running away, and suicide. Strategies involving withholding cooperation were the most reported child behavioral response. As predicted, low‐cost strategies, such as negotiation, were associated with nonsevere conflicts (e.g., playing with friends), whereas high‐cost withholding cooperation, such as running away, was associated with severe conflicts (e.g., labor exploitation). Importantly, withholding cooperation was often, but not always, associated with outcomes favoring the child. We propose that withholding cooperation is a culturally ubiquitous strategy, ranging from avoidance to suicidality, used by the powerless to achieve more favorable outcomes. [adolescence, parent‐offspring conflict, suicide, Micronesia]

The role of digital technologies in supporting quality improvement in Australian early childhood education and care settings

This national study explored the role of digital technologies in early childhood education and care settings and whether they could contribute to quality improvement as reported by educators and assessors of quality in Australia. In this paper, data from Stage 2 of the Quality Improvement Research Project were used, which comprised 60 Quality Improvement Plans from educators linked with 60 Assessment and Rating reports from the assessors who visited early childhood centres as part of the administration of the National Quality Standards by each of Australia’s State and Territory jurisdictions. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory ( Bronfenbrenner, U. (1995).Developmental ecology through space and time: A future perspective. In P. Moen, G.H. Elder, Jr., & K. Lüscher (Eds.), Examining lives in context: Perspectives on the ecologyof human development (pp. 619–647). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10176-018; Bronfenbrenner & Ceci, Bronfenbrenner and Ceci, Psychological Review 101:568–586, 1994) was adopted to facilitate a systemic and dynamic view on the use of digital technologies in these 60 ECEC settings. References (e.g. comments/ suggestions/ examples) made by the educators about the implementation of digital technologies were counted and thematically analysed. Results revealed the strong role new technologies (e.g. documentation and management platforms, tablets, apps, etc.) play in the majority of ECEC settings and especially in relation to three of the seven Quality Areas: Educational programme and practice (Quality Area 1); Collaborative partnerships with families and communities (Quality Area 6) and Governance and leadership (Quality Area 7). Future directions for research are suggested and implications for embracing a more holistic, integrated and broad view on the use of digital technologies are discussed.

Re-evaluating late Mesolithic economies

The late Mesolithic hunter-gatherers of what is now Denmark have long captivated archaeologists, who have meticulously studied the archaeological remains of their foraging economy since the mid-twentieth century. However, these studies – predominantly focused on subsistence – have often overlooked how individual decisions based on social and environmental settings can greatly structure foraging behaviours and, subsequently, the patterns observed in the zooarchaeological record. Perceiving hunting not just as an activity, but as a cultural practice shaping identities and social bonds, underscores the importance of considering social, symbolic and economic dimensions in Mesolithic hunting research. This study bridges this gap by integrating theoretical frameworks from human behavioural ecology (HBE), such as optimal foraging theory (OFT), costly signalling theory (CST) and notions of prestige. By doing so, it aims to elucidate the complex motivations underlying prey selection among the Ertebølle hunters. Through analysis of five sites from the Danish Ertebølle period (5400–3950 BC) using a simplified prey choice model (PCM), this research seeks to shed light on the interplay of ecological and social factors shaping hunting practices. The findings are discussed through the lens of optimal choice and prestige to examine patterns of prey selection at these archaeological sites.

Bridging the ‘dual lives’: school socialization of young bi/multilinguals in the eyes of EFL teachers

ABSTRACT Over the last decade, teachers in Poland have observed an increase in the number of primary school children with bi/multilingual and culturally diverse backgrounds. Regardless of their complex experiences, they face many cultural, social, linguistic and educational challenges upon entering primary school. English teachers are often at the forefront, helping them navigate through the intricacy of their seemingly ‘dual lives’ (Li and Zhu. 2013. “Translanguaging Identities and Ideologies: Creating Transnational Space Through Flexible Multilingual Practices Amongst Chinese University Students in the UK.” Applied Linguistics 34 (5): 516–535, 531). The paper presents the results of an interview study among 23 Polish EFL teachers with a view towards investigating Polish EFL teachers’ experiences and ways of working with bi/multilingual children directed at child integration and socialization into the new environment. The collected data was coded following the content analysis approach (Krippendorff. 2003. Content Analysis: An Introduction to its Methodology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage) and analysed from the ecological perspective (see Bronfenbrenner. 1979. The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; van Lier. 2004. The Ecology and Semiotics of Language Learning. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers), whereby successful child socialization was observed to be dependent on an intricate network of interrelated factors. The role of the exosystem, i.e. the school system, has been found the least supportive due to the absence of a comprehensive multilingual policy, and lack of teacher support via teacher training, all of which have been concluded to be of urgent need in the emergent multilingual setting.

Resilience: Myanmar students’ experiences of overcoming eLearning challenges during COVID 19 and political instability

In 2020, COVID-19 forced global education online. Especially in developing countries, this change presented a challenge for those with limited access to devices and reliable electricity and Internet. Whilst some students struggled to adapt, others thrived with eLearning. This paper explores the experiences of one group of students who succeeded in overcoming not only the restrictions of COVID-19, but also significant political instability. The group has a mix of 1st year and 2nd year students in a pre-university program. The 2nd-year students in particular are noteworthy as despite the adversity faced, they have now successfully transitioned to university studies. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s (The ecology of human development: experiments by nature and design, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1979) socio-ecological framework, the data from twelve semi-structured interviews was analysed and inductively coded. The findings outline how personal goal orientation, coping mechanisms acquired in previous adverse situations, and a desire to serve their communities combine with external influences from families and communities and basic need fulfilment to enable the students to persevere and thrive. The implication is that as students draw on previous experiences, these five core concepts should be incorporated into general education to build the students’ capacity for resilience.

Environmental Impact of Reading Literacy Development

Reading literacy is a basic requirement in the process of teaching and learning. It is one of the important skills needed to be mastered, along with writing skills, speaking skills, and listening skills. The term literacy is not a foreign thing in today’s world of education. In this paper, researchers will focus on reading literacy and the relation of environmental factors based on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory and literacy development. This theory introduces five systems in the ecology of human development, which are microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem. Through this paper, the researcher will try to understand how the environment surrounding the students’ lives will affect their psychological, personality and intellectual development. A good relationship between students and individuals around their surrounding will also make them psychologically balanced human beings. It can also help students to improve their academic performance. In conclusion, a positive environment will help students to achieve excellence, while a negative environment will hamper all such efforts.

Ethnography, Archaeology, and the Late Pleistocene

AbstractThe use of ethnography to understand archaeology is both prevalent and controversial. This paper develops an alternative approach, using ethnography to build and test a general theory of forager behaviors, and their variations in different conditions, one which can then be applied even to prehistoric sites differing from contemporary experience. Human behavioral ecology is chosen as the framework theory, and forager social learning as a case study. The argument is then applied to social learning in the late Pleistocene, and hence to a famous archaeological puzzle: the late Pleistocene acceleration of technical innovation and regional differentiation.