Explaining prehistoric variation in the abundance of large prey: A zooarchaeological analysis of deer and rabbit hunting along the Pecho Coast of Central California

Abstract

Three main hypotheses are commonly employed to explain diachronic variation in the relative abun dance of remains of large terrestrial herbivores: (1) large prey populations decline as a function of anthro pogenic overexploitation; (2) large prey tends to increase as a result of increasing social payoffs; and (3) proportions of large terrestrial prey are dependent on stochastic fluctuations in climate. This paper tests predictions derived from these three hypotheses through a zooarchaeological analysis of eleven temporal components from three sites on central California's Pecho Coast. Specifically, we examine the trade-offs between hunting rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.) and deer (Odocoileus hemionus ) using models derived from human behavioral ecology. The results show that foragers exploited a robust population of deer through out most of the Holocene, only doing otherwise during periods associated with climatic trends unfavor able to larger herbivores. The most recent component (Late Prehistoric/Contact era) shows modest evidence of localized resource depression and perhaps greater social benefits from hunting larger prey; we suggest that these final changes resulted from the introduction of bow and arrow technology.Overall, results suggest that along central California's Pecho Coast, density independent factors described as cli matically-mediated prey choice best predict changes in the relative abundance of large terrestrial herbi vores through the Holocene.

Interpreting abundance indices: some zooarchaeological implications of Martu foraging

“…Here we suggest that this is a function of stacking pursuit success probabilities resulting from sequential encounters on a single foraging bout (see also Bliege Bird et al, 2009;Codding et al, 2010). While pursuing large, highly mobile prey has a higher probability in ending in failure than pursuing smaller, less mobile prey, this probability of failure is a product of low post-encounter pursuit success ; see also Hawkes et al, 1991;Jochim, 1976;Lee, 1968Lee, , 1979.…”

“…Similar to R 2 values in OLS, R 2 L values can be interpreted as a reduction in unexplained deviance by the inclusion of the independent variables, thus models with higher values reduce more unexplained deviance than models with lower values. R 2 L values can be calculated easily from the GLM output of most statistical programs (see Menard, 2000Menard, , 2002; see also Codding et al, 2010).…”

Explaining the Past in 2010

“…“Adaptation” may be an unfashionable concept, but everyone knows that people in the past did something of the sort—especially hunter‐gatherers. Variations on behavioral ecology continue to work to explain prey choice, from deer and rabbit exploitation in California (Codding et al 2010) and oysters and fish in Korea (Kim 2010) to extreme salmon specialization in British Columbia (Coupland et al 2010). (Let us note, while talking of meat, that the exploitation of plant foods did not wait for the Holocene.…”

Prehistoric behavioral depression of cormorant (Phalacrocorax spp.) on the northern California coast

“…The predictions of these models have been born out time and time again in the zooarchaeological record of California (though see Codding et al, 2010;Whitaker, 2008Whitaker, , 2009a.…”