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Cited by 156Evolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorPleistocene-Era Hominins and ArchaeologyLanguage and cultural evolution

Energetic demand of multiple dependents and the evolution of slow human growth

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Gurven, Michael, Walker, Robert·2006·Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences
DOI 10.1098/rspb.2005.3380PMC PMC1560216
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Abstract

This study investigates the consequences of the human foraging niche and multiple dependent offspring on the optimal growth trajectory of humans. We test the hypothesis that the human pattern of slow human growth between age at weaning and puberty helps defer the compound energetic demand on parents with multiple dependents, by using growth and demographic data from two foraging societies, the Ache of eastern Paraguay and the Dobe Ju/'hoansi of Botswana and Namibia. We run simulations of observed and potential growth trajectories among sub-adults and their consequent energetic demands on parents given profiles of fertility, mortality, consumption and production. We find that either sub-adult production or food subsidies from other people must substantially increase in order to compensate for the dramatic increase in energetic demand on parents if offspring were to grow faster at younger ages. Our conclusion is that slow human growth followed by a rapid adolescent growth spurt may have facilitated rising human fertility rates and greater investments in neural capital.

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  • Reproduction in contemporary forager societies begins several years after adolescence.

    “Reproduction in contemporary forager societies also begins several years after adolescence and post-adolescent individuals are often limited in their gathering and/or hunting skills (3–5).”

    From Emerging Adulthood, a Pre-adult Life-History Stage (2020) · cites this paper as [4]

  • Post-adolescent individuals in contemporary forager societies are often limited in their gathering and/or hunting skills.

    “Reproduction in contemporary forager societies also begins several years after adolescence and post-adolescent individuals are often limited in their gathering and/or hunting skills (3–5).”

    From Emerging Adulthood, a Pre-adult Life-History Stage (2020) · cites this paper as [4]

  • Based on hunting returns and specific skill tests, the peak performance of Tsimane hunters is only reached several years after the completion of a long childhood and adolescence.

    “Based on hunting returns and specific skill tests, the peak performance of hunters is only reached several years after the completion of a long childhood and adolescence”

    From Emerging Adulthood, a Pre-adult Life-History Stage (2020) · cites this paper as [4]

  • The hunting performance and ability of Tsimane foragers is an example of a skill whose acquisition depends more on age than strength.

    “The hunting performance and ability of Tsimane foragers is another example of a skill whose acquisition depends more on age than strength.”

    From Emerging Adulthood, a Pre-adult Life-History Stage (2020) · cites this paper as [4]

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Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. Blurton Jones N.G, Hawkes K, O'Connell J. Modeling and measuring costs of children in two foraging societies. In: Standen V, Foley R.A, editors. Comparative socioecology: the behavioral ecology of humans and other mammals. Blackwell Scientific Publications; Oxford, UK: 1989. [Google Scholar]
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Authors
Gurven, M., & Walker, R.
Affiliations
  • University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
  • University of New Mexico (US)
Corresponding author
Gurven, Michael
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences
Publisher
The Royal Society
Published
2005-12-13
Volume
273
Issue
1588
Pages
835-841
ISSN
  • 0080-4649 (ISSN-L)
  • 0962-8452
  • 1471-2954
DOI
10.1098/rspb.2005.3380
PMC
PMC1560216
OpenAlex
W2128941283
Cited by
156
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 11
FWCI
6.46
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
  • Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Language and cultural evolution
Keywords
human growth, energy requirements, foraging societies, Ache, weaning age, puberty, pubertal growth spurt, parental investment, fertility, food subsidies, human evolution
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Behavior, Energy Intake, Child, Child, Preschool, Energy Metabolism, Biological Evolution, Feeding Behavior, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Puberty, Time Factors, Weaning

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