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Foraging/Hunting-Gathering: a Subsistence Strategy, a Lifestyle Humans have been hunter-gatherers (foragers) for roughly 99% of their existence on planet Earth. What do you have to know to be a good hunter-gatherer? o How to schedule the collection of many (often hundreds) species of plants o The seasonal and daily habits/behaviors of prey species o Different characteristics of the physical environment (soils, geology, water, weather, etc) o How to store, process and prepare wild foods o Various resource management techniques o How to be opportunistic. Since your diet is highly diversified you must be responsive to seasonal & annual fluctuations in resources Low-energy budget: It’s the minimum outlay of energy for the extraction of necessary resources Generally, the adaptive strategy used by H-G’s Primary source of energy – human muscle power! The place of H-G groups in the larger ecosystem: Low-energy needs Wide resource base H-G’s have little impact on other components of ecosystems Controlled population Social Organization of Foragers: some generalities o Social units are called bands o Bands tend to be fairly small – groups of closely related families o Group sizes reflect fluctuations in food availability during various times of year o Reciprocity is vital to H-G societies. Systematic sharing and redistribution of resources, insuring steady supply of food even for those families who’ve not had luck in H&G o Nomadism or regular movement of bands within circumscribed territories, the boundaries of which are recognized by other H-G bands o Egalitarianism usually, but not in all cases – lacking status distinctions, except those based on age, gender, and individual qualities, achievements & talents o The typical foraging society gender-based division of labor has women gathering and men hunting and fishing, with gathering contributing more to the group diet.