Final answer:
Increases in a society's population size and social complexity as described by Robert Carneiro lead to greater social and environmental strain, including higher prevalence of infectious diseases and potential overuse of resources.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Robert Carneiro, increases in a society's population's size and social complexity lead to an increase in social strain and environmental strain. This results from factors such as habitat loss, increased pollution, and climate change, which are exacerbated by greater population density. Additionally, the challenge for urban societies is to equitably share resources, reduce pollution, and manage energy use to mitigate negative environmental impacts.
Unchecked population growth also increases the prevalence of infectious diseases, as pathogens require large, contiguous populations to sustain themselves. An example provided is the measles virus, which would have died out in a smaller human population but thrives in denser societies. Furthermore, as human carrying capacity has increased through technological advances, so has the potential for exponential growth, which can have dire long-term effects on human welfare and ecosystems.