Frequent disturbances enhanced the resilience of past human populations


Riris, Philip, Silva, Fabio, Crema, Enrico, Palmisano, Alessio, Robinson, Erick, Siegel, Peter E, French, Jennifer C ORCID: 0000-0001-5947-6669, Jørgensen, Erlend Kirkeng, Maezumi, Shira Yoshi, Solheim, Steinar et al (show 4 more authors) (2024) Frequent disturbances enhanced the resilience of past human populations Nature, 629 (8013). pp. 837-842. ISSN 0028-0836, 1476-4687

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Abstract

AbstractThe record of past human adaptations provides crucial lessons for guiding responses to crises in the future1–3. To date, there have been no systematic global comparisons of humans’ ability to absorb and recover from disturbances through time4,5. Here we synthesized resilience across a broad sample of prehistoric population time–frequency data, spanning 30,000 years of human history. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of population decline show that frequent disturbances enhance a population’s capacity to resist and recover from later downturns. Land-use patterns are important mediators of the strength of this positive association: farming and herding societies are more vulnerable but also more resilient overall. The results show that important trade-offs exist when adopting new or alternative land-use strategies.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, Population Dynamics, Social Change, Agriculture, History, Ancient, Resilience, Psychological
Divisions: Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > School of Histories, Languages and Cultures
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 03 May 2024 07:13
Last Modified: 16 Jun 2026 19:57
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07354-8
Related Websites:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3180764
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