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2014 ; 281
(1791
): 20141349
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An evolutionary model explaining the Neolithic transition from egalitarianism to
leadership and despotism
#MMPMID25100704
Powers ST
; Lehmann L
Proc Biol Sci
2014[Sep]; 281
(1791
): 20141349
PMID25100704
show ga
The Neolithic was marked by a transition from small and relatively egalitarian
groups to much larger groups with increased stratification. But, the dynamics of
this remain poorly understood. It is hard to see how despotism can arise without
coercion, yet coercion could not easily have occurred in an egalitarian setting.
Using a quantitative model of evolution in a patch-structured population, we
demonstrate that the interaction between demographic and ecological factors can
overcome this conundrum. We model the coevolution of individual preferences for
hierarchy alongside the degree of despotism of leaders, and the dispersal
preferences of followers. We show that voluntary leadership without coercion can
evolve in small groups, when leaders help to solve coordination problems related
to resource production. An example is coordinating construction of an irrigation
system. Our model predicts that the transition to larger despotic groups will
then occur when: (i) surplus resources lead to demographic expansion of groups,
removing the viability of an acephalous niche in the same area and so locking
individuals into hierarchy; (ii) high dispersal costs limit followers' ability to
escape a despot. Empirical evidence suggests that these conditions were probably
met, for the first time, during the subsistence intensification of the Neolithic.