Final answer:
Relying on hunting and gathering has several disadvantages including limited food surplus leading to minimal population growth, vulnerability to environmental changes, competition with agriculture, and seasonal scarcity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Reliance on hunting and gathering for sustenance has several disadvantages. As a subsistence strategy, it requires extensive knowledge of local ecology, which is time-consuming to acquire. Some main drawbacks include:
Limited food surplus, preventing significant population growth and development of cities.
Vulnerability to environmental changes, which can affect the availability of natural resources.
Competition with other land uses such as farming, leading to habitat loss and reduction in available resources.
Seasonal variations may cause periods of scarcity, requiring mobility and adaptation.
As examples, the Hadza of Tanzania and the Dobe Ju/'hoansi show the resilience required in such lifestyles but also the pressure they face from external societal changes. In contrast, contemporary society has its own food supply challenges but benefits from agricultural advancements that hunting and gathering cannot provide on a large scale. Nonetheless, hunter-gatherer societies exemplify a more flexible dietary regimen and seasonal adjustments that can be insightful in today's fluctuating conditions.