Human Behavioral Ecology

By Kaitlin Kawata

Introduction

Human Behavioral Ecology (HBE) is the

concept that is concerned with connecting the

links between ecological factors and adaptive

behaviors [2]. It’s a perspective used for

anthropology researchers to observe behaviors in

humans among their external environments and

Fig. 1. Two chimpanzees.
how they can adapt to these types of stimuli

through their lifetimes for biological success. This idea was emerging during the 1970s that was

able to acclimate into evolutionary theories and methods of study of anthropology [3]. Field

research has opened many doors and discussion of human behavior and its effects. Key

evolutionary behaviors in survival, heredity, variation, and selection for evolutionary success can

be explained under HBE.

Glossary
Human Behavioral Ecology: connecting links between ecological factors and adaptive

behaviors [2].

Ecological Factors: any factor that can influence a living organism [4].

Abiotic factor: non-living factors that can influence behavior [9].

Biotic Factor: living factors that can influence behavior [9].

Variation: a difference in either physical or internal from the original standard [8].
 Heredity: the transfer of genetic data or information from parents to their offspring [2].

Natural Selection: organisms can adapt to their environment in order to reproduce and

survive [2].

Sexual Selection: a sexual preference of the opposite sex regarding looks [2].

History

The history of human behavioral ecology began in the last half-decade, all the way back

into the 1970s. This approach was very new and received a lot of backlashes along with other

perspectives (i.e., Evolutionary Psychology). During this time, not many people were content

when being compared to primates [2]. Anthropologists were able to study primates such as

chimpanzees and bonobos, who are the closest relatives to humans, to understand the origins of

behavior. It was considered a taboo topic, and many

researchers were shunned. Though as time went by, there

was a burst of studies down under. However, plenty of

field research done under this perspective was able to

explain human behaviors. These kinds of studies were

Fig. 2. Hunter-gathers in Tanzania.
not as popular, often only focusing on observing and

focusing on reproductive behaviors in hunter-gatherer societies [3].

Ecological Factors

Also known as environmental factors or

eco-factor [4]. Ecological factors look at

any given situation and occurrence that

can influence an organism. Under the

perspective of human behavioral ecology,

Fig. 3. Diagram explain different eco factors by Furtak. ecological factors help researchers find

which environments can create greater biological success. To many ecologists and

anthropologists, it is used to determine which factors caused human behavior [2]. Essentially,

does the environment influence behavior, and would you see this same behavior in another

environment?

There are two main aspects of

ecological factors, that is abiotic and biotic.

Abiotic refers to factors that are not living

and biotic refers to factors that are living [9].

In the case of human behavioral ecology, we

mostly investigate the abiotic factors that

cause behaviors to occur. Considering the Fig. 4. A Bajau tribesman diving in the ocean.

Bajau people in Indonesia, their oceanic environment (an abiotic factor) has enabled this tribe to

have statistically larger spleens than the average human [6].

Survival

In human behavioral ecology, it is vital to study behaviors linked to survival, especially

the behaviors that have evolved over the years to pass on genes. Three distinct factors must be

considered when discussing survival: variation of genes, heredity, and the selection processes.

Variation in genes is vital to survival, as there

needs to be a difference and adaptation as time

goes on. If everyone on the planet were to be

made of the same copies of genes there would be

little room for adaptation. Heredity links to

Fig. 5. Variation in skin pigmentation.
variation, as this is the process of passing on

genes from one to another—the relationship from parent to child. For a variation to occur there

must be a passing of genes to the next generation [2]. When the human ancestors copulated, HBE

would explain this type of behavior as a survival.

There are two main types of selections: natural and sexual selection. Darwin’s natural

selection was able to explain why many species have different variations in their phenotypes.

Because of the environments species were living in, they had to adapt to survive. Behaviors

changed, and typically these behaviors were suited for the environment to ensure survival and

reproduction [2]. Sexual selection was another aspect of

Darwin’s theory, though it is seen as different from natural

selection. Take the black widow male who is willing to die to

pass on his genes (through sex). The male widow sacrifices

himself, which does not coincide with the theory of natural

Fig. 6. Female widow eating male.

selection. Thus, sexual selection describes these encounters as risk-taking, a very prominent

behavior in species [2].

Field Research

Field research done under the Human

Behavioral Ecology approach is

observational and typically only done in

locations not touched by the modern

world, otherwise known as hunter-

gatherer societies. These societies can

help researchers have more accurate

Fig. 7. Bajau fishing off the shoreline. depictions and observations of how

human behavior evolved in the many millions of years, and how it is expressed in the modern

world.

The Bajau is a tribe studied in Indonesia and researchers were able to identify significant

changes in their physical functions. The spleen has been studied and reviewed as an organ able to

withstand long periods of diving [6]. Being a tribe surrounded by water, the Bajau often dove

into the ocean as their source of food [6]. The Bajau tribes were measured to have larger spleens,

this indicates their free-diving may have been a behavior over time to cause this physical change.

References
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