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Frequent disturbances enhanced the resilience of past human populations.


ABSTRACT: The 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.

SUBMITTER: Riris P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11111401 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The record of past human adaptations provides crucial lessons for guiding responses to crises in the future<sup>1-3</sup>. To date, there have been no systematic global comparisons of humans' ability to absorb and recover from disturbances through time<sup>4,5</sup>. 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 disturban  ...[more]

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