Modern social networks likened to those of ancient hunter-gatherers

Feb 6, 2012, 3:06 GMT

Cambridge, Massachusetts - Friendships in modern social networks are similar to those in age-old hunter-gatherer groups, according to a Harvard University study reported in the journal Nature.

A team of researchers studied relationships of the Hadza people, an isolated group of hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, who live as humans did about 10,000 years ago.

Human friendships are unusual compared with relationships that other creatures have, authors of the study wrote, adding that friendships were often long-lasting and had no direct bearing on the conception of progeny. They said the Hadza selected friends according to criteria similar to those of modern 'networkers.'

The researchers conducted two tests with 205 men and women from 17 Hadza bands that wander around Lake Eyasi. The nomads were shown photographs - head shots - of all the Hadza from the various bands and asked whom they would like to have as campmates. Women picked an average of six desirable campmates, and men seven.

The Hadza were also given three sticks of honey - their favourite food - and asked to secretly specify who should receive them as gifts: either three different people or a single person.

Several similarities to modern social networks became evident. The number of friends differed from Hadza to Hadza. A Hadza's friends were likely to be friends, too. Popular Hadza had popular friends. A Hadza had friends similar in age, height, weight and degree of body fat, for example. Physical proximity increased the chances of social relations.

The researchers compared the results with the social networks of adolescents in the United States and adult villagers in Honduras. Although not all of the parameters are comparable, they said, patterns of behaviour are similar.