Hunter‐gatherer studies and human evolution: A very selective review. Issue 4 (25th March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hawkes, Kristen; O'Connell, James; Blurton Jones, Nicholas
• Other Names: Ellison Peter T. guestEditor.; Cartmill Matt guestEditor.; Larsen Clark Spencer guestEditor.; Ruff Christopher B. guestEditor.; Szathmáry Emőke J. E. guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: American journal of physical anthropology. Volume 165:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: 777
• Page End: 800
• Publication Date: 2018-03-25
• Subjects: grandmother hypothesis -- optimal foraging models -- showoff hypothesis -- supplying public goods -- tolerated theft; Physical anthropology -- Periodicals; Anthropology -- Periodicals; Anthropologie physique -- Périodiques; 599.9
• DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23403
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-9483

Abstract

Abstract: The century long publication of this journal overlapped major changes in the sciences it covers. We have been eyewitnesses to vast changes during the final third of the last century and beginning of this one, momentous enough to fundamentally alter our work separately and collectively. One (NBJ) from animal ethology, another from western North American archaeology (JOC), and a third (KH) from cultural anthropology came to longtime collaboration as evolutionary ecologists with shared focus on studying modern hunter‐gatherers to guide hypotheses about human evolution. Our findings have radically revised hypotheses each of us took for granted when we began. Our (provisional) conclusions are not the consensus among hunter‐gatherer specialists; but grateful that personal reflections are invited, we aim to explain how and why we continue to bet on them.