Author Description

Over the past twenty-five years, evolutionary ecology has grown into an exciting and dynamic area of research in the biological sciences. Only in the last decade, however, has there been noteworthy progress in adapting theory, concepts and models from this field for analysis of human behavior and evolution. The present volume represents the conviction that anthropological applications of evolutionary ecology have now developed to the point where a systematic, book-length treatment is warranted. The result is a collection of original, commissioned articles by leading authorities - a collaborative effort in the full sense - unified by a common theoretical framework and consistency of scope. Each chapter presents a set of key concepts and models, and describes selected case studies which illustrate the theoretical and methodological advances of human evolutionary ecology. Chapters cover topics as diverse as primate social structure, hominid evolution, food acquisition strategies, time allocation, habitat use, collective action, competition, reproductive strategies, and population dynamics. Collectively, they demonstrate that evolutionary ecology provides a powerful framework for analyzing topics of broad concern to the social sciences. Apart from its usefulness as a primary text (in graduate and advanced undergraduate classes), the book's synthetic breadth makes it a valuable reference tool for social and behavioral scientists, anthropologists, zoologists, ecologists, and sociobiologists.