From Forest to Reservation: Transitions in Food-Sharing Behavior among the Ache of Paraguay

This article presents detailed quantitative descriptions of food distributions among a group of forager-horticulturalists, the Ache of Paraguay. Food transfer patterns for Ache during periods of nomadic foraging are compared with those of Ache living a horticulture-based existence at a permanent settlement. We further explore how characteristics of resources and the methods of production, group size, and the spatial landscape can influence the kinds of social arrangements found among the Ache. The results of these analyses are used to generate general predictions regarding food sharing and cooperation among other foraging and transitional horticultural populations.

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