Seasonality in a Foraging Society: Variation in Diet, Work Effort, Fertility, and Sexual Division of Labor among the Hiwi of Venezuela

Abstract

In this paper we describe seasonal variation in the diet, subsistence work effort, and sexual division of labor among Hiwi foragers of Venezuela. The major findings are: (1) The Hiwi diet is characterized by stability in hunted resources but extreme seasonality in vegetable resource types. (2) Men and women show significant seasonal variations in subsistence work effort and, therefore, in the character of the sexual division of labor. (3) Significant seasonal weight changes for each sex are observed. (4) Female fertility patterns vary seasonally, and this variation appears to be highly correlated with changes in "net" energy intake throughout the year. We suggest that a consideration of the individual fitness consequences of behavioral options for each sex may provide some insight into sex differences in behavior across seasons.

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