Positive feedbacks in deep-time transitions of human populations

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 379(1893)

Published: Nov. 13, 2023

Abrupt and rapid changes in human societies are among the most exciting population phenomena. Human populations tend to show expansions from low high density along with increased social complexity just a few generations. Such demographic transitions appear as remarkable feature of Homo sapiens dynamics, likely fuelled by ability accumulate cultural/technological innovations that actively modify their environment. We especially interested establishing if pre-historic same dynamic signature Industrial Revolution transition (a positive relationship between growth rates size). Our results patterns across different were similar those observed during developed western societies. These features, which have been operating our recent history hunter-gatherers modern industrial societies, imply dynamics cooperation underlay sudden This article is part theme issue 'Evolution sustainability: gathering strands for an Anthropocene synthesis'.

Language: Английский

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Evolution and sustainability: gathering the strands for an Anthropocene synthesis

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 379(1893)

Published: Nov. 12, 2023

How did human societies evolve to become a major force of global change? What dynamics can lead on trajectory sustainability? The astonishing growth in population, economic activity and environmental impact has brought these questions the fore. This theme issue pulls together variety traditions that seek address using different theories methods. In this Introduction, we review organize strands work how Anthropocene evolved, evolutionary are influencing sustainability efforts today, what principles, strategies capacities will be important guide us towards future. We present set synthetic insights highlight frontiers for future research which could contribute consolidated synthesis. article is part 'Evolution sustainability: gathering an synthesis'.

Language: Английский

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Landscape of fear: indirect effects of conflict can account for large-scale population declines in non-state societies

Journal of The Royal Society Interface, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 21(217)

Published: Aug. 1, 2024

The impact of inter-group conflict on population dynamics has long been debated, especially for prehistoric and non-state societies. In this work, we consider that beyond direct battle casualties, conflicts can also create a ‘landscape fear’ in which many non-combatants near theatres abandon their homes migrate away. This process causes decline the abandoned regions increased stress local resources better-protected areas are targeted by refugees. By applying analytical computational modelling, demonstrate these indirect effects sufficient to produce substantial, long-term boom-and-bust patterns societies, such as case Mid-Holocene Europe. We greater availability defensible locations act protect maintain supply combatants, increasing permanence landscape fear likelihood endemic warfare.

Language: Английский

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Towards understanding human–environment feedback loops: the Atacama Desert case

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 379(1893)

Published: Nov. 13, 2023

The overall trajectory for the human-environment interaction has been punctuated by demographic boom-and-bust cycles, phases of growth/overshooting as well expansion/contraction in productivity. Although this pattern explained terms an interplay between population growth, social upscaling, ecosystem engineering and climate variability, evoked demographic-resource-complexity mechanisms have not empirically tested. By integrating proxy data sizes, palaeoclimate internal societal factors into empirical modelling approaches from dynamic theory, we evaluated how endogenous (population warfare upscaling) exogenous (climate) variables module past agrarian societies. We focused on inland Atacama Desert, where populations developed agriculture activities arid semi-arid landscapes during last 2000 years. Our approach indicates that these experienced a over millennia, which was coupled to structure feedback hydroclimate, engineering. Thus, loop appears closely linked with cooperation, competition, limiting resources ability problem-solving. This article is part theme issue 'Evolution sustainability: gathering strands Anthropocene synthesis'.

Language: Английский

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Soil Fertility Depletion is not a Credible Mechanism for Population Boom/Bust Cycles in Early Agricultural Societies

Human Ecology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 52(4), P. 731 - 741

Published: Aug. 1, 2024

Language: Английский

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