Post-Pleistocene Adaptations

This chapter examines some of the major assumptions underlying the current systematics of the archeological remains of the post-Pleistocene period. The archeological remains of the immediately post-Pleistocene period are generally termed Mesolithic. They are characterized over wide areas by the appearance of small, highly specialized flint implements; these occur frequently on later sites in the coastal and riverine regions in the context of the systematic exploitation of aquatic resources. Braidwood presents a strong case that there was major cultural change in areas where environmental change was minor or absent, as well is in areas such as Western Europe where environmental change was marked. Adaptation is always a local problem, and selective pressures favoring new cultural forms result from non-equilibrium conditions in the local ecosystem. Structural differences in ecological niches refer to differences in the modes of integration between cultural and other components within ecological communities.