Harm Avoidance and Mobility During Middle Childhood and Adolescence among Hadza Foragers

Crittenden, Alyssa N.; Farahani, Alan; Herlosky, Kristen N.; Pollom, Trevor R.; Mabulla, Ibrahim A.; Ruginski, Ian T.; Cashdan, Elizabeth

doi:10.1007/s12110-021-09390-z

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…Bolivian Tsimane parents cited long distances and fear of environmental hazards (e.g., encounters with wild animals, dangerous terrain) as reasons to restrict children’s solo travel ranges 70 . Self-reported fear of getting lost constrained Hadza travel ranges until middle childhood 71 . In sum, children’s participation in activities that take them outside of settlements may be constrained by local ecological risk.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Socioecology shapes child and adolescent time allocation in twelve hunter-gatherer and mixed-subsistence forager societies

Lew‐Levy

Reckin

Kissler

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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A key issue distinguishing prominent evolutionary models of human life history is whether prolonged childhood evolved to facilitate learning in a skill- and strength-intensive foraging niche requiring high levels of cooperation. Considering the diversity of environments humans inhabit, children’s activities should also reflect local social and ecological opportunities and constraints. To better understand our species’ developmental plasticity, the present paper compiled a time allocation dataset for children and adolescents from twelve hunter-gatherer and mixed-subsistence forager societies (n = 690; 3–18 years; 52% girls). We investigated how environmental factors, local ecological risk, and men and women’s relative energetic contributions were associated with cross-cultural variation in child and adolescent time allocation to childcare, food production, domestic work, and play. Annual precipitation, annual mean temperature, and net primary productivity were not strongly associated with child and adolescent activity budgets. Increased risk of encounters with dangerous animals and dehydration negatively predicted time allocation to childcare and domestic work, but not food production. Gender differences in child and adolescent activity budgets were stronger in societies where men made greater direct contributions to food production than women. We interpret these findings as suggesting that children and their caregivers adjust their activities to facilitate the early acquisition of knowledge which helps children safely cooperate with adults in a range of social and ecological environments. These findings compel us to consider how childhood may have also evolved to facilitate flexible participation in productive activities in early life.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… How does local ecological risk influence child and adolescent time allocation? Children’s activities are responsive to extrinsic risk of injury and/or mortality inherent to local ecologies 69 – 71 . Here, we estimated the effect of two extrinsic risk factors on time allocation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socioecology shapes child and adolescent time allocation in twelve hunter-gatherer and mixed-subsistence forager societies

Lew‐Levy

Reckin

Kissler

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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“…Juveniles, as members of a group, also have their own energetic constraints during infancy, childhood, and adolescence (Blurton Jones et al, 1989;Crittenden et al, 2013;Hill & Hurtado, 2017;Kramer, 2005;Mace, 2000). Moreover, infants, toddlers, children and adolescents have an important influence on the group mobility strategy because of their size, physiology, and kinematic limitations (Cavagna et al, 1983;Crittenden et al, 2021;Froehle et al, 2013;Miner et al, 2014;Saibene & Minetti, 2003).…”

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confidence: 99%

At their own pace: Optimal walking speed in children and adolescents

Cachorro

Zorrilla‐Revilla

Rodrı́guez

2022

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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Materials and methods: An experimental study was carried out indoors in a sample of 74 children and adolescents of both sexes, between 7 and 14 years of age. Volunteers walked on a treadmill at six different speeds, and the gross cost of transport (CoT), minimum gross energy cost (minCoT), and optimal locomotion speed (OLS) were determined for each individual. These values were compared with the optimal values for adults, as reported in the literature.Results: Our results show that OLS is similar in boys and girls, and that there are no sex differences in minCoT. Older individuals, as a consequence of their larger size, spend more energy at their optimal speed than younger children.Discussion: Juveniles are not a real burden for the rest of the group in foraging societies, neither in energetic terms nor in locomotor efficiency, being able to achieve optimal walking speeds similar to adults. The so-called energetic dilemma for sexmixed walking groups does not affect juveniles when moving together with adults or in sex-mixed parties.

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“…The strong sexual division of labor among the Hadza arises in middle childhood, although their young children forage and play in mixed-age and mixed-sex groups (Hawkes et al, 1995 ), and the sex differences become more pronounced during adolescence (Crittenden et al, 2021 ; Froehle et al, 2019 ). Pumé girls occasionally accompany women during their foraging trips, but they often perform tasks in the camp such as caring for siblings, collecting water, and other domestic chores (Kramer & Greaves, 2011 ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pumé girls occasionally accompany women during their foraging trips, but they often perform tasks in the camp such as caring for siblings, collecting water, and other domestic chores (Kramer & Greaves, 2011 ). It might be argued that since the sexual division of tasks starts in middle childhood and the beginning of puberty (Crittenden et al, 2021 ; Zorrilla-Revilla et al, 2021 ), ontogenetic differences in the size and strength of juveniles might be influencing these differences in their daily routine. Additionally, child and adolescent foragers may improve their parents’ fitness as well as their own individual fitness (Lee & Kramer, 2002 ; Lew-Levy et al, 2017 , 2020 ; Nag et al, 1978 ) by producing a surplus of energetic return that can be shared with siblings and parents (Bird & Bliege Bird, 2002 , 2005 ; Kramer, 2002 , 2005 , 2018 ; Kramer & Ellison, 2010 ; Lee & Kramer, 2002 ; Reiches et al, 2009 ).…”

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confidence: 99%

Let’s Play at Digging

Cachorro

Zorrilla‐Revilla

Rodrı́guez

2022

Hum Nat

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Extractive foraging tasks, such as digging, are broadly practiced among hunter-gatherer populations in different ecological conditions. Despite tuber-gathering tasks being widely practiced by children and adolescents, little research has focused on the physical traits associated with digging ability. Here, we assess how age and energetic expenditure affect the performance of this extractive task. Using an experimental approach, the energetic cost of digging to extract simulated tubers is evaluated in a sample of 40 urban children and adolescents of both sexes to measure the intensity of the physical effort and the influence of several anatomical variables. Digging is a moderately vigorous activity for inexperienced girls and boys from 8 to 14 years old, and it requires significant physical effort depending on strength and body size. However, extracting subterranean resources is a task that may be performed effectively without previous training. Sex-specific and age-specific differences in the net energy expenditure of digging were detected, even though both sexes exhibited similar proficiency levels when performing the task. Our results highlight that both boys and girls spend considerable energy while digging, with differences largely driven by body size and age. Other factors beyond ability and experience, such as strength and body size, may influence the proficiency of juveniles in performing certain physically intensive foraging tasks, such as gathering tubers.

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Harm Avoidance and Mobility During Middle Childhood and Adolescence among Hadza Foragers

Cited by 7 publications

References 58 publications

Socioecology shapes child and adolescent time allocation in twelve hunter-gatherer and mixed-subsistence forager societies

Socioecology shapes child and adolescent time allocation in twelve hunter-gatherer and mixed-subsistence forager societies

At their own pace: Optimal walking speed in children and adolescents

Let’s Play at Digging

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