Final answer:
Hunting and gathering is a subsistence strategy involving the collection of wild plants and the hunting of animals, which provided the primary form of sustenance to human ancestors until the development of agriculture. This method emphasizes foraging behaviors that are efficient in energy expenditure and includes various activities according to seasonal and environmental availability.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hunting and Gathering as a Subsistence Strategy
The strategy of obtaining wild plant and animal resources for survival is known as hunting and gathering. This method of subsistence involves various activities such as foraging for nuts, fruits, berries, and wild grains, hunting for animals and birds, and scavenging what is left by other predators. Historically, hunting and gathering was the primary way that humans, from Homo erectus to about 10,000 years ago, obtained food before the advent of agriculture. For instance, the Hadza of northern Tanzania continue to subsist through a combination of hunting wild animals and gathering wild plants. The mainstay of their diet tends to come from gathering, which is an essential source of calories and performed by both men and women. Despite the importance of hunting, gathering provides a more stable and consistent food source in this subsistence strategy.
Foraging behaviors are also an essential part of this lifestyle, which seek to maximize energy gain and minimize energy expenditure. These behaviors are a product of natural selection, favoring efficiency in the search for food resources. The Hadza, for example, practice both individual and group foraging for efficiency and to adapt to seasonal food availability.