THE BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY OF MODERN HUNTER-GATHERERS, AND HUMAN-EVOLUTION

Modern day hunter-gatherers are an obvious source of information about human life in the past. But can modern people really tell us anything about other hominids, those represented only in the fossil record? In a world of state governments and a global economy, can present-day fo ragers even tell us much about life before agriculture? Some behaviora l ecologists think so. Their findings show (1) that foraging practices are closely related to the character and distribution of local resour ces, (2) that men, women and children react to foraging opportunities quite differently, and (3) that sex and age differences in these react ions have important social causes and consequences. Some results direc tly challenge long-held views about hunter-gatherer economics and soci al organization, and the scenarios of human evolution based on them.