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| Torrey Pines |
Sharks,
Bees and Humans forage and explore in many of the same ways. Researchers at University of Arizona studied
the foraging and exploring patterns of a number of creatures in their habitats
(1).
In particular, they looked at the Hadza people of Tanzania who still
forage and hunt in the same way that our ancestors did. To their amazement,
they found similar patterns of activities among broad species.
The
pattern is known as the Levy walk and is based on mathematical principles. The
same patterns exist when foraging for food or walking around an amusement park
(2).
It entails short movements around a particular area and then longer movements
into newer areas.
Co-author
and anthropologist Brian Woods from Yale states, “Detecting this pattern among the Hadza, as has been found in several
other species, tells us that such patterns are likely the result of general
foraging strategies that many species adopt, across a wide variety of contexts”
(3).
They argue that understanding how these
patterns work may eventually influence urban development.
It is
possible that this process is based on our evolutionary development to create net
effects in an area. The short movements help us find the things we need for
survival. Once an area is canvassed, we then move to change the environment and
search again in a new area. At present, the researchers desire to conduct more
studies to determine the actual reasons for and how these patterns may have influenced
the societal development (4).
Putting
this within an urban context, we may find that having local pockets of retail
to serve basic needs of local residents with larger commercial areas could have
some benefit. People will forage their neighborhoods and walk to the local
grocery store but will naturally drive to shop at larger retailers or
commercial districts. Getting people out of their houses and walking around can
have a large impact on social cohesion and health.
