Child and adolescent foraging: New directions in evolutionary research.
Evol Anthropol
; 33(2): e22020, 2024 Apr.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38214699
ABSTRACT
Young children and adolescents in subsistence societies forage for a wide range of resources. They often target child-specific foods, they can be very successful foragers, and they share their produce widely within and outside of their nuclear family. At the same time, while foraging, they face risky situations and are exposed to diseases that can influence their immune development. However, children's foraging has largely been explained in light of their future (adult) behavior. Here, we reinterpret findings from human behavioral ecology, evolutionary medicine and cultural evolution to center foraging children's contributions to life history evolution, community resilience and immune development. We highlight the need to foreground immediate alongside delayed benefits and costs of foraging, including inclusive fitness benefits, when discussing children's food production from an evolutionary perspective. We conclude by recommending that researchers carefully consider children's social and ecological context, develop cross-cultural perspectives, and incorporate children's foraging into Indigenous sovereignty discourse.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Conducta Alimentaria
Límite:
Adolescent
/
Child
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Evol Anthropol
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Francia
Pais de publicación:
Estados Unidos