Methods of Studying the Social Structure of Early Hominins: A Mini Review

There has been numerous attempts by anthropologists and paleoanthropologist to study the social structure of early hominins, many of these were based on three main modalities of research; non-human primate models, behavioural ecology, and phylogenetic models. Non-human primate models are considered as the archetypal analytic approach of social structure. On the other hand, behavioural ecology emphasises on the shared behavioural patterns in between our specie, the early hominin species, and the species of African apes. The 3rd approach, the phylogenetic modelling, is considered to be the most novel method; It relies on the analysis of phylogenetic constraints in a particular ecosystem; which seems to enforce a specific type of social structure; it represents a responsive interaction between the; environment, evolutionary biology, and ultimately the social fabric.