Population growth as a driver of initial domestication in Eastern North America
The transition to agriculture is one of the most significant events in human prehistory; yet, explaining why people initially domesticated plants and animals remains a contentious research problem in archaeology. Two competing hypotheses dominate current debates. The first draws on niche constructio...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160319 |
| _version_ | 1811310529292009472 |
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| author | Elic M. Weitzel Brian F. Codding |
| author_facet | Elic M. Weitzel Brian F. Codding |
| author_sort | Elic M. Weitzel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The transition to agriculture is one of the most significant events in human prehistory; yet, explaining why people initially domesticated plants and animals remains a contentious research problem in archaeology. Two competing hypotheses dominate current debates. The first draws on niche construction theory to emphasize how intentional management of wild resources should lead to domestication regardless of Malthusian population–resource imbalances. The second relies on models from behavioural ecology (BE) to highlight how individuals should only exert selective pressure on wild resources during times of population–resource imbalance. We examine these hypotheses to explain the domestication event which occurred in Eastern North America approximately 5000 years ago. Using radiocarbon date density and site counts as proxies for human population, we find that populations increased significantly in the 1000 years prior to initial domestication. We therefore suggest that high populations prior to 5000 cal BP may have experienced competition for and possibly overexploitation of resources, altering the selective pressures on wild plants thereby producing domesticates. These findings support the BE hypothesis of domestication occurring in the context of population–resource imbalances. Such deficits, driven either by increased populations or decreased resource abundance, are predicted to characterize domestication events elsewhere. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T10:00:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1fd94ec8ab0c413599c1f109d586522f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T10:00:21Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-1fd94ec8ab0c413599c1f109d586522f2022-12-22T02:51:15ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032016-01-013810.1098/rsos.160319160319Population growth as a driver of initial domestication in Eastern North AmericaElic M. WeitzelBrian F. CoddingThe transition to agriculture is one of the most significant events in human prehistory; yet, explaining why people initially domesticated plants and animals remains a contentious research problem in archaeology. Two competing hypotheses dominate current debates. The first draws on niche construction theory to emphasize how intentional management of wild resources should lead to domestication regardless of Malthusian population–resource imbalances. The second relies on models from behavioural ecology (BE) to highlight how individuals should only exert selective pressure on wild resources during times of population–resource imbalance. We examine these hypotheses to explain the domestication event which occurred in Eastern North America approximately 5000 years ago. Using radiocarbon date density and site counts as proxies for human population, we find that populations increased significantly in the 1000 years prior to initial domestication. We therefore suggest that high populations prior to 5000 cal BP may have experienced competition for and possibly overexploitation of resources, altering the selective pressures on wild plants thereby producing domesticates. These findings support the BE hypothesis of domestication occurring in the context of population–resource imbalances. Such deficits, driven either by increased populations or decreased resource abundance, are predicted to characterize domestication events elsewhere.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160319origins of agricultureniche constructionbehavioural ecologyoptimal foraging theorydates as data |
| spellingShingle | Elic M. Weitzel Brian F. Codding Population growth as a driver of initial domestication in Eastern North America Royal Society Open Science origins of agriculture niche construction behavioural ecology optimal foraging theory dates as data |
| title | Population growth as a driver of initial domestication in Eastern North America |
| title_full | Population growth as a driver of initial domestication in Eastern North America |
| title_fullStr | Population growth as a driver of initial domestication in Eastern North America |
| title_full_unstemmed | Population growth as a driver of initial domestication in Eastern North America |
| title_short | Population growth as a driver of initial domestication in Eastern North America |
| title_sort | population growth as a driver of initial domestication in eastern north america |
| topic | origins of agriculture niche construction behavioural ecology optimal foraging theory dates as data |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160319 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elicmweitzel populationgrowthasadriverofinitialdomesticationineasternnorthamerica AT brianfcodding populationgrowthasadriverofinitialdomesticationineasternnorthamerica |