Where is the evidence for selection?

Summary

Few dispute that the Tibetan Plateau represents one of the harshest environments on the planet. It is reasonable to expect that human colonization of the Plateau entailed exposure to strong selective pressures. Successful colonization of the Plateau therefore implies the development of adaptations in response to these selective pressures. Genetic, physiological and morphological data from Plateau populations are consistent with a general model for biological adaptation under strong selective pressures. By contrast, archaeological data collected over the last two decades is remarkable for the paucity of evidence suggesting major shifts in behavior and technology accompanied the colonization of the Plateau. With few exceptions, Plateau behavioral adaptations appear to be close variants of those common in low-elevation settings. Why is there so little evidence for cultural selection? Here we examine several alternative hypotheses explaining this perplexing problem.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• From Dirt to Behavior: Papers in Honor of David B. Madsen

Keywords

Spatial Coverage