Evolution And History

242 CHAPTER 10 | The Neolithic Revolution: The Domestication of Plants and Animals

While increased dependence on farming is associ-

ated with increased fertility across human populations,^21

the reasons behind this illustrate the complex interplay

between human biology and culture in all human activ-

ity. Some researchers have suggested that the availabil-

ity of soft foods for infants brought about by farming

promoted population growth. In humans, frequent

breastfeeding has a dampening effect on the mother’s

ovulation, inhibiting pregnancy in a nursing mother

who breastfeeds exclusively. Because breastfeeding fre-

quency declines when soft foods are introduced, fertility

tends to increase.

However, it would be overly simplistic to limit the ex-

planation for changes in fertility to the introduction of

soft foods. Many other pathways can also lead to fertility

changes. For example, among farmers, numerous chil-

dren are frequently seen as assets to help out with the

many household chores. Further, it is now known that

sedentary lifestyles and diets emphasizing a narrow range

of resources characteristic of the Neolithic led to grow-

ing rates of infectious disease and higher mortality. High

infant mortality may well have led to a cultural value

placed on increased fertility. In other words, the relation-

ship between farming and fertility is far from simple, as

explored in this chapter’s Biocultural Connection.

are invariably combined with flavor-giving substances

that help the food go down.

In Mexico, for example, the flavor enhancer par excel-

lence is the chili pepper; in other cuisines it may be a bit

of meat, a dairy product, or mushrooms. Anthropologist

Sidney Mintz refers to this as the “core-fringe-legume pat-

tern” (CFLP), noting that only recently has it been upset

by the worldwide spread of processed sugars and high-fat

foods.^20

Food Production

and Population Size

Since the Neolithic, the global population of humans has

grown steadily. The exact relationship between population

growth and food production resembles the old chicken-

and-egg question. Some assert that population growth

creates pressure that results in innovations such as food

production while others suggest that population growth is

a consequence of food production. As already noted, do-

mestication inevitably leads to higher yields, and higher

yields make it possible to feed more people, albeit at the

cost of more work.

(^20) Mintz, S. (1996). A taste of history. In W. A. Haviland & R. J. Gordon
(Eds.), Talking about people (2nd ed., pp. 81–82). Mountain View, CA:
Mayfield.
(^21) Sellen, D. W., & Mace, R. (1997). Fertility and mode of subsistence: A
phylogenetic analysis. Current Anthropology 38, 886.
In Mexico, chili peppers
have been a part of the diet
for millennia. Chili peppers
enhance the flavor of foods
and aid digestion by help-
ing with the breakdown of
cellulose in diets heavy in
plant foods. They had other
uses as well: This illustration
from a 16th-century Aztec
manuscript shows a woman
threatening her child with
punishment by being exposed
to smoke from chili peppers.
Chili smoke was also used as
a kind of chemical weapon in
warfare.
© Bettmann/Corbis