See, I would think (from my non-anthropologically-educated standpoint of course) that having a large group of women bearing young at almost exactly the same time would be detrimental to the group... it seems like it would be more beneficial to have births staggered more, since that way there would be more women available who had not VERY recently gone through childbirth themselves be able to help with food gathering, care of the newborns and new mothers, and other tasks essential to survival. If you had a tribe of women who were all a few days out of childbirth, it seems like it could jeopardize their survival.
However, with that said, I have read from people who have studied these things that early populations a) probably did not have periods on the particularly regular basis that we do now, and b) would usually have either been nursing a baby or been pregnant, almost from the time they were able to conceive, so the whole synchronized period thing (which is DEFINITELY true) would perhaps never even have come into play.
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Date: 2006-01-03 10:24 pm (UTC)However, with that said, I have read from people who have studied these things that early populations a) probably did not have periods on the particularly regular basis that we do now, and b) would usually have either been nursing a baby or been pregnant, almost from the time they were able to conceive, so the whole synchronized period thing (which is DEFINITELY true) would perhaps never even have come into play.
I'm just ruminating here myself. :)