PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Abrupt and rapid changes in human societies are among the most exciting population phenomena. Human populations tend to show rapid expansions from low to high population density along with increased social complexity in just a few generations. Such demographic transitions appear as a remarkable feature of Homo sapiens population dynamics, most likely fuelled by the ability to accumulate cultural/technological innovations that actively modify their environment. We are especially interested in establishing if the demographic transitions of pre-historic populations show the same dynamic signature of the Industrial Revolution transition (a positive relationship between population growth rates and size). Our results show that population growth patterns across different pre-historic societies were similar to those observed during the Industrial Revolution in developed western societies. These features, which appear to have been operating during most of our recent demographic history from hunter-gatherers to modern industrial societies, imply that the dynamics of cooperation underlay sudden population transitions in human societies. This article is part of the theme issue \'Evolution and sustainability: gathering the strands for an Anthropocene synthesis\'.
摘要：
人类社会的突然和快速变化是最令人兴奋的人口现象之一。人口往往显示出从低到高人口密度的快速扩张，以及在短短几代人中增加的社会复杂性。这种人口结构的转变是智人人口动态的一个显著特征，最有可能是由于积累积极改变其环境的文化/技术创新的能力。我们特别有兴趣确定史前人口的人口转变是否显示出与工业革命转变相同的动态特征（人口增长率与规模之间的正相关关系）。我们的结果表明，不同史前社会的人口增长模式与西方发达社会在工业革命期间观察到的模式相似。这些特点,在我们最近的人口统计学历史中，从狩猎采集者到现代工业社会，这意味着合作的动力是人类社会人口突然转变的基础。这篇文章是主题问题的一部分，“进化和可持续性：收集人类世的合成链”。
