ANT 3 Study Guide - Final Guide: Optimal Foraging Theory
Document Summary
Foraging behavior how food is procured; foraging refers to predator-prey relationships; behavioral. Optimal foraging theory states that organisms focus on consuming the most energy while expending the least amount of energy. In archaeology it acts as a frame of reference in the sense that any departures from optimal can help to identify constraints in the environment (either natural or social) Prey choice seek to yield highest returns for energy spent in search, pursuit & processing: subsistence systems what is procured. Also known as diet breadth : focal economy specialized economy centered on one or a few similar resources low diet breadth. Labor is intensified to increase the quantity rather than the variety of food in diet. Resources must be: reliable, abundant, consistently available. Archaeologically: a focal economy has few functional tool classes: diffuse economy generalized subsistence based on scheduled use of a wide variety of resources.
