Is a tropical rainforest an attractive environment for human beings? An ecological-ahthropological study of the forest people in southeastern Cameroon.

这个研究项目的目的是阐明以下问题：1)“在农业开始之前，热带雨林是否已经成为人类的栖息地？”2)“如果是这样，人类是什么时候居住在那里的，是什么使它成为可能？”为此，我们于2003年8月（旱季）和2005年10月（雨季）对喀麦隆巴卡狩猎采集者的觅食生活方式进行了两项实验研究。此外，从比较的角度，我们于2004年8月对同一组人的日常活动模式进行了观察性研究。同时，我们还测量了约60名巴卡志愿者的基础代谢率（BMR）和6对已婚夫妇的主要日常活动每分钟的能量消耗，以估计觅食生活方式和乡村生活方式的总能量消耗。虽然我们还没有分析完我们的数据，但我们可以指出以下几点：1)虽然我们的实验…更多的是限制在20天的研究期间，在干旱的8月和多雨的10月，在6到8对已婚夫妇的受试者数量，验证了非洲热带雨林中独立于农业的纯觅食生活方式的可能性。2)巴卡人的主要食物是野生山药，无论旱季还是雨季，山药都占巴卡人总食物能量的50%以上。野味、鱼、坚果、蜂蜜和白蚁是野生山药的主要补充。我们也在研究成本：获取食物需要消耗多少能源。完成后，我们可以比较热带雨林与其他环境中觅食生活方式的能量平衡，并可以评估热带雨林作为人类栖息地的价值。此外，我们正在准备一份关于“俾格米人”狩猎采集者BMR的第一份报告，该报告有助于阐明导致“俾格米人”身材矮小的身体特征的原因。我们将于2006年12月在印度举行的CHAGS 10^ the >会议上介绍这些关于上述主题的论文。少

The aim of this research project is to elucidate the following questions : 1)" Could a tropical rainforest have been a habitat of human beings before the beginning of agriculture?" and 2)" If so, when did human beings inhabit it and what made it possible?" For this purpose we conducted two experimental studies on the foraging lifestyle of the Baka hunter-gatherers in Cameroon in August 2003 (dry season) and in October 2005 (rainy season). Furthermore, from a comparative viewpoint we did an observational study of the daily activity patterns of the same people in their village lifestyle in August 2004. At that time, we also measured the BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) of about 60 Baka volunteers and the energy expenditure per minute in main daily activities of six married couples to estimate the total energy expenditure both in the foraging lifestyle and the village lifestyle. Although we have not finished analyzing our data yet, we can indicate the following points : 1)Though our experiments … More were limited in the research period of 20 days, in the seasons of dry August and rainy October, and in subject numbers of six to eight married couples, the possibility of a pure foraging lifestyle independent of agriculture in the African tropical rainforest was verified. 2)The main staple food was wild yams on which the Baka subjects depended for over 50 percent of their total food energy in both dry and rainy seasons. 3)Game meat, fish, nuts, honey, and termites were major complements to wild yams. We are also examining the cost : how much energy it costs to get food. After completion, we can compare the energy balance of a foraging lifestyle in a tropical rainforest with those in other environments and can evaluate tropical rainforests as a human habitat. In addition, we are preparing a first report on "Pygmy" hunter-gatherers' BMR which serves to elucidate what causes the "Pygmy" physical characteristics of small stature. We will present these papers on the above topics at CHAGS 10^<th> in India in December 2006. Less