Abstract
Optimal foraging theory is being used increasingly as a means of understanding human foraging behavior. One of the central assumptions of optimal foraging theory is that prey items or patches are encountered sequentially and as a Poisson process. Using empirical data gathered on the Barí hunters of Venezuela, we assess the validity of this central assumption. We compare our observed distribution of encounter frequencies with an expected Poisson distribution, utilizing chisquare tests and graphic representations. The results are strikingly consonant with the expected Poisson distribution and lend support to the applicability of optimal foraging models to human hunting behavior.
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Zeleznik, W.S., Bennett, I.M. Assumption validity in human optimal foraging: The Barí hunters of Venezuela as a test case. Hum Ecol 19, 499–508 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00889792
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00889792