Optimal Foraging and Ephemeral Group Formation: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Jenu Kuruba Honey Collectors and 19th C. Silver Prospectors

Contrary to the logic of economic foraging, researchers find little evidence that per capita yields are the most important factor in determining size and composition of ephemeral work groups. Variation in patch size and uncertainty about returns contribute to variation in group sizes in addition to social and cultural concerns like kinship, reputation and pleasure. Models that only incorporate economic parameters make poor predictions of how humans interact with their environments.