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Cited by 112Language and cultural evolutionPrimate Behavior and EcologyEvolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior

Constraints of knowing or constraints of growing?: Fishing and collecting by the children of mer

Bird, Rebecca Bliege, Bird, Douglas W.·2002·Human Nature
DOI 10.1007/s12110-002-1009-2
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Abstract

Recent theoretical models suggest that the difference between human and nonhuman primate life-history patterns may be due to a reliance on complex foraging strategies requiring extensive learning. These models predict that children should reach adult levels of efficiency faster when foraging is cognitively simple. We test this prediction with data on Meriam fishing, spearfishing, and shellfishing efficiency. For fishing and spearfishing, which are cognitively difficult, we can find no significant amount of variability in return rates because of experiential factors correlated with age. However, for shellfish collecting, which is relatively easy to learn, there are strong age-related effects on efficiency. Children reach adult efficiency more quickly in fishing as compared to shellfish collecting, probably owing to the size and strength constraints of the latter.

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Crossref · 10.1007/s12110-002-1009-2

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40 of 40 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • For shellfish collecting, which is relatively easy to learn, Bird and Bird found strong age-related effects on efficiency.

    “for shellfish collecting, which is relatively easy to learn, they found strong age-related effects on efficiency”

    From Emerging Adulthood, a Pre-adult Life-History Stage (2020) · cites this paper as [112]

  • The importance of size and strength is confirmed by a study of spearfishing and shellfishing efficiency among the Meriam.

    “The importance of size and strength is confirmed by a study of spearfishing and shellfishing efficiency among the Meriam”

    From Emerging Adulthood, a Pre-adult Life-History Stage (2020) · cites this paper as [112]

  • For fishing and spearfishing, which are cognitively difficult, Bird and Bird found no significant amount of variability in return rates because experiential factors correlated with age.

    “For fishing and spearfishing, which are cognitively difficult, Bird and Bird found no significant amount of variability in return rates because experiential factors correlated with age.”

    From Emerging Adulthood, a Pre-adult Life-History Stage (2020) · cites this paper as [112]

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Related

Authors
Bird, R. B., & Bird, D. W.
Affiliations
University of Maine (US)
Corresponding author
  • Bird, Rebecca Bliege
  • Bird, Douglas W.
ORCID
Bird, Rebecca Bliege
Venue
Human Nature
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2002-06
Volume
13
Issue
2
Pages
239-267
ISSN
  • 1045-6767 (ISSN-L)
  • 1936-4776
DOI
10.1007/s12110-002-1009-2
OpenAlex
W2064819005
Cited by
112
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5
FWCI
138.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Human Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Language and cultural evolution
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Keywords
foraging efficiency, age-related learning, human evolution, fishing, spearfishing, return rate, child development

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