MODELLING EARLY HOMININ BEHAVIOURAL ECOLOGY

Behavioural ecology is the study of adaptive behaviour in relation to environmental and social circumstances. Computer models have been used to study the behavioural ecology of extant primates. Similar models can be applied to extinct hominins to gain insights into areas such as foraging and subsistence strategies, diet, dispersals, etc. This paper presents ecological modelling work, using software known as Simile, investigating the differences in behavioural ecology between Paranthropus and early Homo. The study particularly focuses on the use of technology in early Homo as a possible alternative to the megadont trend of australopithecines in gaining and consuming resources and the dietary differences between Paranthropus and early Homo.