The Flow of Energy in a Hunting Society

Kemp, W. B.

doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0971-104

Cited by 73 publications

(39 citation statements)

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“…In particular, great advances have been made in the carrying of modern laboratory procedures to remote field stations. Energy flow studies (Foote and Greer-Wootten, 1966; Kemp, 1971; Godin and Shephard, 1973) have enabled investigators to evaluate not only the current adaptation of a given population to its environment, but also the future prospects of a settlement when adopting various tactics of energy deployment. Such studies will assume ever-greater relevance as the world population increases and reserves of food and nonrenewable energy decline.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While this increases the number of children to be carried by the women of the community, it also becomes increasingly difficult for large families to wander in search of food. The net effect is then a reduction in the working capacity of the individuals concerned, while the energy balance for the entire settlement is threatened (Foote and GreerWootten, 1966;Lee, 1969;Kemp, 1971;Godin and Shephard, 1973;Shephard, 1978).…”

Section: Nutritional Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors associated with population variation in physiological working capacity

Shephard

1985

Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

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Determinants of working capacity vary with the task to be performed, cultural differences in the distinction between work and leisure, and secular trends to a sedentary society. However, tolerance of physical effort is still necessary in many developing countries. Determinatians of working capacity should examine at least aerobic power, body composition, physical performance, and muscular endurance. Often, compromises will be necessary when testing in remote locations, but where possible, normal laboratory procedures should be followed. Data must be interpreted in relation to size, nutrition, fluid balance, lifestyle (including current activity habits and cigarette consumption), family size, and general health. The range of human variation can be examined by several techniques, including data distribution curves for large populations, the study of extreme variants such as athletes and patients with metabolic abnormalities, and comparisons between close relatives. To date, population studies have failed to unravel the relative contribution of constitution and environment to the determination of physical working capacity. The way ahead probably lies in more extended studies of relatives, sustained over several generations.In recent years, physical anthropologists have added to their basic repertoire of static measurements a range of dynamic observations, including data on human working capacity. It has been suggested that the ability to colonize a n unpromising habitat may depend more upon these dynamic characteristics than upon static dimensions. In the present paper, the physiological determinants of human working capacity are considered, discussing in particular methods of data collection which are appropriate to field situations. Given the excellent review of Bouchard et al. (1981) and several other fairly recent publications (Shephard, 1480; 1982a ,b; Andersen et al., 1978;Harris, 1982), a systematic treatment of such topics as the growth, aging, and training of working capacity would be superfluous. Rather, factors modifying the observed characteristics of any given community (such as body size, nutrition, lifestyle, family size, and health status) are emphasized. Comment will be offered on the potential for exploring human variation through comparisons between athletes and sedentary individuals, studies of twins and close relatives, and an examination of inherited abnormalities of working capacity. Comparisons between populations colonizing extreme habitats, ethnic comparisons within a given habitat, and studies of migrants will be exploited to examine the range of human adaptability. Finally, a brief critique will be made of both the findings and the underlying philosophy of these several approaches to the variance of populations. DETERMINANTS OF WORKING CAPACITY Nature of workOne immediate handicap when attempting to measure the working capacity of any human population is a lack of agreement on the nature of "work." The debate 0 1985 Alan R. Liss, Inc.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Nutritional Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors associated with population variation in physiological working capacity

Shephard

1985

Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

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“…This is another form of transport, but it is not principally different. Studies about technological changes in the Arctic (e.g., Kemp 1971, Pelto 1987, Helander-Renvall 2007 highlight important impacts on indigenous northern communities that could not yet be seen happening in all Russian Northern regions. In this section, I will introduce the background of these changes and the findings of studies.…”

Section: Theorising Snowmobilesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to Kemp (1971) and Pelto (1987), mechanised transport as a revolutionary innovation in the Arctic led to the following major consequences:…”

Section: Theorising Snowmobilesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobile Phone Revolution in the Tundra? Technological Change among Russian Reindeer Nomads

Stammler¹

2009

FEJF

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Abstract:This contribution looks at the influence of technological change that nomads in the Russian North have undergone, using as examples two crucial innovations: the snowmobile and the mobile phone. I argue that the snowmobile did not have the same revolutionary impact on the Russian tundra as it did in Fennoscandia, for reasons connected to long distances, infrastructure, spare parts, availability of fuel, priorities of Soviet transport policy as well as the convenience of previously used practices of herd control using 'sitting transport'. Different from that, I argue that mobile phones have the potential for a greater penetration into nomadic societies. Because they encourage equality rather than stratification, they are low maintenance; they are small enough to be embedded into existing social contexts. Connecting not only neighbours but the whole world, in principle, mobile phones may entail a significant socio-cultural change. The article presents first fieldwork evidence of such change among tundra nomads and relates this to existing theoretical studies on how mobile communication changes societies. Attention is paid to the particularities of a mobile type of communication introduced in mobile communities, that is, among nomads. In doing so, I explore similarities and differences in how technological change influences sedentary and nomadic societies.

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“…Multiplying this distance by the total mass of the snow blocks will give mass moved per metre during the construction. Thus, for the large iglu: The ratio of the heat equivalent of work to the heat equivalent of metabolism during work, or gross efficiency, is approximately 20% for humans, or slightly lower if increased metabolism during recovery is also considered (Kleiber, 1975 (Kemp, 1971;Kleiber, 1975), so iglu construction Positive values indicate the degree to which iglu chamber temperatures were warmer than the air space between the skin and the iglu wall; negative values mean the chamber was colder.…”

Section: Work Involved In Constructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Shelter Characteristics of Traditional-styled Inuit Snow Houses

Kershaw¹,

Scott²,

Welch³

1996

ARCTIC

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ABSTRACT. The shelter value of snow iglus at Resolute (74˚41'N, 94˚54'W) in the Canadian High Arctic was assessed. After a survey of snow conditions, construction sites were chosen and two iglus were built and furnished in a traditional way. A large iglu (4.1 m diameter) contained 72 blocks averaging 23.6 kg and had a surface area-to-volume ratio of 2.21:1. A smaller iglu (3.05 m in diameter) contained 46 blocks averaging 28.2 kg and had a surface area-to-volume ratio of 1.73:1. The smaller iglu provided 75% of the large iglu's space for 76.5% of its mass. Snow hardness averaged 12 000 g·cm -2 , and the mean density of the snow was 397 kg·m -3 . The energy required to build and heat each iglu was calculated from the snow characteristics, construction activities, and microclimate parameters measured during occupancy. Heat flux was calculated for human bodies, kudliks (seal oil lamps), and geothermal sources at temperature differentials as high as 45˚C from ambient, for both the unlined large iglu and the small iglu, which was lined with caribou skins on the inside. The smaller iglu was more energy efficient, requiring the fat of one seal every 6.3 days for heating, while the larger iglu required the fat of one seal every 3.7 days. The meat content of each seal would have sustained a family of four for the same time interval, and the resultant body heat would have provided 8% to 14% of the total energy necessary to maintain comfortable temperatures within the iglu.Key words: iglu, snow house, winter shelter, Inuit, snow dwelling, traditional winter houses RÉSUMÉ. On a évalué la valeur de la protection offerte par les igloos de neige à Resolute (74˚ 40' de latit. N.) dans l'Extrême-Arctique canadien. On a d'abord procédé à un relevé de l'état de la neige, puis choisi les sites et construit et équipé deux igloos de façon traditionnelle. Soixante-douze blocs de neige pesant en moyenne 23,6 kg ont servi à construire le grand igloo (4,1 m de diamètre) dont le rapport surface:volume était égal à 2,21. Quarante-six blocs pesant en moyenne 28,2 kg ont servi à la construction du petit igloo dont le rapport surface:volume était égal à 1,73. Ce petit igloo représentait 75 p. cent de l'espace du grand igloo pour 76,5 p. cent de sa masse. La dureté de la neige était en moyenne de 12 000 g·cm -2 et sa densité moyenne de 397 kg·m -3 . On a calculé l'énergie nécessaire pour construire et chauffer chaque igloo à partir des caractéristiques de la neige, des activités relatives à la construction et des paramètres du microclimat mesurés au cours de l'occupation. On a calculé le flux thermique pour les corps, les kudliks (lampes à l'huile de phoque) et les sources géothermiques à des différences de température allant jusqu'à 45 ˚C au-dessus de la température ambiante, et ce, pour le grand igloo nu et pour le petit qui, lui, était tapissé de peaux de caribou sur les parois internes. Le petit igloo était le plus éconergétique, ne consommant pour le chauffage que la graisse d'un phoque tous les 6,3 jours alors que le grand igloo en co...

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The Flow of Energy in a Hunting Society

Cited by 73 publications

References 0 publications

Factors associated with population variation in physiological working capacity

Factors associated with population variation in physiological working capacity

Mobile Phone Revolution in the Tundra? Technological Change among Russian Reindeer Nomads

The Shelter Characteristics of Traditional-styled Inuit Snow Houses

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