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Published on: March 13, 2011
Paleolithic population growth pulses evidenced by small animal exploitation
1M. C. Stiner, N. D. Munro, T. A. Surovell, Department of Anthropology, Building 30, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. E. Tchernov, Department of Evolution, Systematics and Ecology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|January 8, 1999
Summary
Human population density surged during the late Middle Paleolithic and later periods, evidenced by shifts in prey selection and size. Early Middle Paleolithic populations were small and dispersed.
Area of Science:
- Paleoanthropology
- Archaeology
- Paleoecology
Background:
- Small game hunting patterns provide insights into prehistoric human demography.
- Mediterranean coastal ecosystems offer a rich record of human-environment interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconstruct human population dynamics during the Paleolithic and Epi-Paleolithic periods.
- To investigate the relationship between prey availability, human population density, and hunting strategies.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of small game hunting variations across the northern and eastern Mediterranean rims.
- Predator-prey simulation modeling to assess demographic impacts.
Main Results:
- Evidence of abrupt human population density increases in the late Middle Paleolithic, Upper Paleolithic, and Epi-Paleolithic.
- A dietary shift towards agile, fast-reproducing prey (partridges, hares, rabbits) at the expense of slower-reproducing species (tortoises, shellfish).
- Observed climate-independent size reduction in tortoises and shellfish, correlating with increased human predation pressure.
Conclusions:
- Early Middle Paleolithic human populations were small and widely dispersed.
- Demographic pulses during later Paleolithic periods significantly altered prey selection and resource exploitation strategies.
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