Human Evolutionary Ecology

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Human Evolutionary Ecology
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Crucial Components of Dawkins

• The goal of evolution, from the perspective of
  the individual, is the get your genes represented
  in the next generation
• genetic determinism our phenotype is the
  vehicle. That carries our genes. But genes are
  driving the vehicle.
• Consequently a lot of Human behavior is
  directed toward reproduction.
• Individual decision making. In contrast to
  selectionism, individual decision making and how
  those decision affect the trajectories of
  evolution are crucial
• METHODOLOGICAL INDIVIDUALISM INDIVIDUAL
  ACTIONS HAVE LONG TERM EVOLUTIONARY CONSEQUENCES

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HOW CAN THIS BE THE CASE--- A MAJOR ASSUMPTION
SUPPORTS METHODOLOGICAL INDIVIDUALISM

• Over the long haul, humans brain and therefore
  the human mind has been shaped by selection to
  maximize fitness. The human brain. This means
  that the choices we make are designed to maximize
  fitness and gene representation.
• This assumption may be overturned in the process
  of investigation. If it is, then why is that the
  case

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Parental Investment
Laura Betzig
Altruism
Sexual Selection
Kin Selection
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Prey Choice Model
provides a set of predictions on which a predator
(humans in our case) should choose from an array
of potential choices. all else being equal in
terms of prey density, encounter rates,
processing time, a predator should go for the
prey with the highest energy return rates.
Why should this be the case? Natural selection
has shaped predators to behave this
way Predator decision-making, though flexible,
will choose a higher ranked resource over a
lower one. Why take a bunny when you just as
easily take down a deer.
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Virginia Butler Resource Depression on the
Northwest Coast of North America

• Questions
• What is Resource Depression? Why might this
  concept be important in archaeology?
• How is this concept related to Prey Choice Models
  
• What does Butler want to explain?
• How does she estimate prey size?--- after all
  shes working with fish bone?
• Does HEE inform this paper? How and why?
• What parts of this paper do not fit within an
• HEE framework?