Race and Evolution

by Stephen Sanderson

Africa is a very warm continent overall, and in those regions near the equator extremely hot and humid. The archaeologist Lewis Binford has assembled data on 340 hunter-gatherer societies to show how hunter-gatherer subsistence is closely tied to latitude (Table 7.1).246 Up to 30° either way from the equator, gathering is the principal mode of subsistence. Hunting makes up much less of the diet, and hunting and fishing combined still account for less than gathering. Gathering is principally a female activity wherever it is found, and it certainly was and is found in Africa. Before the outward migration, Africa consisted only of hunter-gatherers, since agriculture did not appear anywhere on earth until about 11,000 years ago, and in Africa much later than this. This means that in early times women were providing the majority of the diet. And in warm or hot climates the demands of gathering are minimal. Hunting is also much less demanding in such climates than it is in more northerly climes. Building shelters from the elements is a lot easier as well because it is easy to stay warm year-round. Shelters therefore do not have to be “weatherized” (except to keep the rain out).

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