Frameworks derived from evolutionary ecology are often applied to hunter-gatherers but less often to societies representing the transition to agriculture. Our case study of Mesa Verde subsistence utilizes optimal foraging theory models from evolutionary ecology to study small animal resource use during the Pueblo II to Terminal Pueblo III periods. Turkey and lagomorph indices have been used extensively in the Southwest, but these measures can be more explicitly tied to foraging theory. We frame these indices as measures of changing patch exploitation using faunal data from eleven sites in the McElmo Dome area of the Mesa Verde region and contextualize our results within the greater regional assemblage. Our results indicate that turkey husbandry became increasingly important at the same time that wild game populations were depressed by harvest pressure. Just before the region was depopulated, however, turkey and lagomorph populations declined, possibly as a result of deteriorating environmental conditions.

中文翻译：

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Mesa Verde 农民中与社会环境变化相关的动物资源利用

源自进化生态学的框架通常适用于狩猎采集者，但较少适用于代表向农业过渡的社会。我们对 Mesa Verde 生存的案例研究利用进化生态学中的最佳觅食理论模型来研究普韦布洛 II 至终末普韦布洛 III 时期的小动物资源利用。土耳其和兔类指数已在西南地区广泛使用，但这些措施可以更明确地与觅食理论联系起来。我们使用来自 Mesa Verde 地区 McElmo Dome 地区 11 个地点的动物群数据将这些指数作为改变斑块开发的措施，并将我们的结果在更大的区域组合中进行背景化。我们的结果表明，在野生动物种群因收获压力而受到抑制的同时，火鸡养殖变得越来越重要。然而，就在该地区人口减少之前，火鸡和兔类种群数量下降，这可能是环境条件恶化的结果。