Considerable variation has been observed in allomaternal nursing (breast-feeding by individuals other than mothers) behavior across contemporary foraging populations: while relatively common in some populations, it is rare or absent among others. Here the authors examine data on allomaternal nursing from 12 previous studies of foraging societies and utilize a worldwide sample of 104 cultures to assess global variation in allomaternal nursing.

Considerable variation has been observed in allomaternal nursing (breast-feeding by individuals other than mothers) behavior across contemporary foraging populations: while relatively common in some populations, it is rare or absent among others. Here the authors examine data on allomaternal nursing from 12 previous studies of foraging societies and utilize a worldwide sample of 104 cultures to assess global variation in allomaternal nursing.

Considerable variation has been observed in allomaternal nursing (breast-feeding by individuals other than mothers) behavior across contemporary foraging populations: while relatively common in some populations, it is rare or absent among others. Here the authors examine data on allomaternal nursing from 12 previous studies of foraging societies and utilize a worldwide sample of 104 cultures to assess global variation in allomaternal nursing.

Considerable variation has been observed in allomaternal nursing (breast-feeding by individuals other than mothers) behavior across contemporary foraging populations: while relatively common in some populations, it is rare or absent among others. Here the authors examine data on allomaternal nursing from 12 previous studies of foraging societies and utilize a worldwide sample of 104 cultures to assess global variation in allomaternal nursing.

Considerable variation has been observed in allomaternal nursing (breast-feeding by individuals other than mothers) behavior across contemporary foraging populations: while relatively common in some populations, it is rare or absent among others. Here the authors examine data on allomaternal nursing from 12 previous studies of foraging societies and utilize a worldwide sample of 104 cultures to assess global variation in allomaternal nursing.

This study asserts that premastication (the pre-chewing of food for infant feeding) has existed as a cross cultural human universal stemming from the post natal immaturity of infant development and their need to have nutritional supplements to breast milk before they develop the molars necessary to consume an adult diet. Hypotheses are informally tested by sampling 119 cultures from the eHRAf database and looking for frequency of premastication occurrence. About one-third with information on infant feeding mention pre-mastication.

Social scientists are equivocal as to the importance of teaching (as contrasted with other forms of learning) in traditional societies. While many cultural anthropologists have downplayed the importance of teaching, cognitive psychologists often argue that teaching is a salient human universal. Here the authors investigate cultural transmission among 23 hunter-gatherer populations to explore the relative importance of teaching among foragers.

This paper examines patterns of cultural learning in pastoralist societies and compares them to those found in hunter-gatherer societies. The study analyzed 198 texts from 13 pastoralist cultures in the eHRAF World Cultures database and found that most cultural skills and knowledge were acquired in early childhood, with parents and non-parental adults as the primary sources of transmission. Teaching was the most common form of learning across all age groups, with minimal variation in transmission between different age groups. While similarities were found between the cultural learning patterns of pastoralists and hunter-gatherers, pastoralists were less likely to mention learning from peers and more likely to mention learning via local enhancement and stimulus enhancement. The importance of teaching did not increase with age in pastoralist societies, unlike in hunter-gatherer societies.

This paper examines patterns of cultural learning in pastoralist societies and compares them to those found in hunter-gatherer societies. The study analyzed 198 texts from 13 pastoralist cultures in the eHRAF World Cultures database and found that most cultural skills and knowledge were acquired in early childhood, with parents and non-parental adults as the primary sources of transmission. Teaching was the most common form of learning across all age groups, with minimal variation in transmission between different age groups. While similarities were found between the cultural learning patterns of pastoralists and hunter-gatherers, pastoralists were less likely to mention learning from peers and more likely to mention learning via local enhancement and stimulus enhancement. The importance of teaching did not increase with age in pastoralist societies, unlike in hunter-gatherer societies.

This paper examines patterns of cultural learning in pastoralist societies and compares them to those found in hunter-gatherer societies. The study analyzed 198 texts from 13 pastoralist cultures in the eHRAF World Cultures database and found that most cultural skills and knowledge were acquired in early childhood, with parents and non-parental adults as the primary sources of transmission. Teaching was the most common form of learning across all age groups, with minimal variation in transmission between different age groups. While similarities were found between the cultural learning patterns of pastoralists and hunter-gatherers, pastoralists were less likely to mention learning from peers and more likely to mention learning via local enhancement and stimulus enhancement. The importance of teaching did not increase with age in pastoralist societies, unlike in hunter-gatherer societies.