Behavioral ecology and optimality: Seeking alternative views

Abstract

a b s t r a c tCompositional analysis were undertaken to understand if Tusayan Virgin Series ceramics were being traded between southern Nevada and the St. George Basin during the Pueblo III period to counteract the loss of a diverse resource base after the collapse of the trade networks with the Arizona Strip. This study suggests that Tusayan Virgin Series ceramics were not traded between the two regions and that ecological models of the economy may not fit preconceived notions of logical responses or optimality. The Uncertainty Avoidance Index is explored as a useful tool for understanding the psychological reasons behind less than optimal behavior.

Sustainable Extractive Strategies in the Pre-European Contact Pacific: Evidence from Mollusk Resources

“…Despite criticisms by some anthropologist that OFT is reductionistic and cannot account for the historical and socio-cultural factors that structure human societies (e.g., Ferguson 2016; Jones 2009; Meehan 1983; Soares Feitosa et al 2018), foraging models may be more relevant to human foragers than to other organisms precisely because of the human ability to process vast amounts of information about the environment, guiding people towards the optimal choice, thereby maximizing fitness (Smith 1983). Foraging models attempt to predict the optimum state under specified environmental conditions, which are then tested against behavior exhibited by particular organisms to determine the fit between observation and prediction (Kormondy and Brown 1998: 416).…”

Examining style in Virgin Branch corrugated ceramics

“…Tusayan Wares are sand-tempered, light-firing ceramics likely produced at several locations in the lowland region (Lyneis, 1992). Chemical analyses suggest that at least some of these ceramics were produced in the Moapa Valley (Ferguson, 2016), though other production locales are likely. Moapa and Tusayan Wares corrugated vessels occur in a variety of forms, including large wide-mouthed jars, smaller jars with narrower orifices, and a small proportion of bowls.…”