Long term hunter‐gatherer adaptation to desert environments: A biogeographical perspective

Abstract

Hunter‐gatherer adaptations can be given new interpretation within a biogeographical framework. Emphasizing theories dealing with the mechanics of adaptation to environments varying in their stability and predictability, the author discusses a stability‐time hypothesis. Stable environments are conducive to biological adaptation and hence large numbers of species, because concentration upon specific resources limits the amount of time and energy expended through interspecific competition. In variable and less predictable environments, specialization is not a wise adaptive strategy, because the underlying base permitting finely‐tuned niches is missing. When resources are subject to rapid, unexpected changes, ecosystems are likely to be resilient rather than stable, i.e. species types do persist but population numbers and distributions alter dramatically over time. It is reasonable to assume that conditions such as resource abundance, variability and especially predictability influence human behavior adaptations and social organization, as well as the ways in which societies change over time. Survey of desert cultural traditions reveals a close fit between biogeographical prediction and ethnographic and archaeological observation.