#3376. Gathering Is Not Only for Girls: No Influence of Energy Expenditure on the Onset of Sexual Division of Labor

October 2026publication date
Proposal available till 23-05-2025
4 total number of authors per manuscript0 $

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Journal’s subject area:
Anthropology;
Social Sciences (miscellaneous);
Sociology and Political Science;
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous);
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics;
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Abstract:
In some small-scale societies, a sexual division of labor is common. For subadult hunter-gatherers, the onset of this division dates to middle childhood and the start of puberty; however, there is apparently no physiological explanation for this timing. Discarding the energetic factor, the sexual division of tasks may be explained as an adaptation to acquire the skills needed to undertake the complex activities required during adulthood as early as possible. If most of the energetic costs of gathering activities depend on body mass, the delayed growth in humans relative to other primates allows subadults to practice these tasks for longer periods, and to become better at performing them. In fact, this strategy could enable them to acquire adults’ complex skills at a low energetic cost that can be easily subsidized by other members of the group.
Keywords:
Adolescents; Body mass; Children; Energy expenditure; Sexual division of labor

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