Table 1.
Summary characteristics of ethnographically described hunter-gatherer societies (from Marlowe 2005, unless otherwise indicated.)
| Variable | Average | Median | Range | Casesa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population density (people/km2) | 0.30 | 0.12 | <0.01 – 11.0 | 312 |
| Total fertility rate (live births/woman) | 5.4 | 5.5 | 0.8 – 8.5 | 47 |
| Residential group size | 41.4 | 27 | 13 – 250 | 263 |
| Residential group mobility (moves/yr) | 7.4 | 5.5 | 0 – 58 | 312 |
| Dietary reliance on wild resources (%) | 99.4 | 100 | 80 – 100 | 367 |
| Gathering (%) | 36.3 | 40 | 0 – 90 | 367 |
| Hunting (%) | 30.8 | 30 | 0 – 89 | 367 |
| Fishing (%) | 32.3 | 25 | 0 – 95 | 367 |
| Males married polygynously (%) | 14.1 | 10 | 0 – 70 | 212 |
| Females married polygynously (%) | 21.4 | 10 | 0 – 90 | 51 |
| Postmarital residenceb | 193 | |||
| Patrilocal/virilocal | 51.3% | 99 | ||
| Matrilocal/uxorilocal | 14.5% | 28 | ||
| Other | 34.2% | 66 | ||
| Descentc | 36 | |||
| Bilateral | 63.9% | 23 | ||
| Patrilineal | 13.9% | 5 | ||
| Matrilineal | 11.1% | 4 | ||
| Ambilineal or double descent | 11.1% | 4 |
a
Number of societies or populations in the sample for a given variable; equestrian cases excluded.
b
Residence data from Kelly 1995 (Table 7.2).
c
Descent data from Marlowe 2004, using Standard Cross-Cultural Sample.