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Gendered movement ecology and landscape use in Hadza hunter-gatherers

Author

Listed:
  • Brian M. Wood

    (University of California
    Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology)

  • Jacob A. Harris

    (Arizona State University)

  • David A. Raichlen

    (University of Southern California)

  • Herman Pontzer

    (Duke University)

  • Katherine Sayre

    (University of Southern California)

  • Amelia Sancilio

    (University of Chicago)

  • Colette Berbesque

    (University of Roehampton)

  • Alyssa N. Crittenden

    (University of Nevada)

  • Audax Mabulla

    (University of Dar es Salaam)

  • Richard McElreath

    (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology)

  • Elizabeth Cashdan

    (University of Utah)

  • James Holland Jones

    (Stanford University)

Abstract

Understanding how gendered economic roles structure space use is critical to evolutionary models of foraging behaviour, social organization and cognition. Here, we examine hunter-gatherer spatial behaviour on a very large scale, using GPS devices worn by Hadza foragers to record 2,078 person-days of movement. Theory in movement ecology suggests that the density and mobility of targeted foods should predict spatial behaviour and that strong gender differences should arise in a hunter-gatherer context. As predicted, we find that men walked further per day, explored more land, followed more sinuous paths and were more likely to be alone. These data are consistent with the ecology of male- and female-targeted foods and suggest that male landscape use is more navigationally challenging in this hunter-gatherer context. Comparisons of Hadza space use with space use data available for non-human primates suggest that the sexual division of labour likely co-evolved with increased sex differences in spatial behaviour and landscape use.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian M. Wood & Jacob A. Harris & David A. Raichlen & Herman Pontzer & Katherine Sayre & Amelia Sancilio & Colette Berbesque & Alyssa N. Crittenden & Audax Mabulla & Richard McElreath & Elizabeth Cash, 2021. "Gendered movement ecology and landscape use in Hadza hunter-gatherers," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(4), pages 436-446, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:5:y:2021:i:4:d:10.1038_s41562-020-01002-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-020-01002-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Frédérik Saltré & Joël Chadœuf & Thomas Higham & Monty Ochocki & Sebastián Block & Ellyse Bunney & Bastien Llamas & Corey J. A. Bradshaw, 2024. "Environmental conditions associated with initial northern expansion of anatomically modern humans," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Geary, David C., 2022. "Spatial ability as a distinct domain of human cognition: An evolutionary perspective," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    3. Dominik Deffner & David Mezey & Benjamin Kahl & Alexander Schakowski & Pawel Romanczuk & Charley M. Wu & Ralf H. J. M. Kurvers, 2024. "Collective incentives reduce over-exploitation of social information in unconstrained human groups," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.

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