A Malthusian model of hybridization in human evolution

Angus Chu

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: Early modern humans interbred with archaic humans. To explore this phenomenon, we develop a Malthusian growth model with hybridization in human evolution. Our hunting-gathering Malthusian economy features two initial human populations. We derive population dynamics and find that the more fertile population survives whereas the less fertile one eventually becomes extinct. During this natural-selection process, a hybrid human population emerges and survives in the long run. This finding explains why modern humans still carry DNA from archaic humans. A higher hybridization rate reduces long-run population size but raises long-run output per capita for the surviving populations in this Malthusian economy.

Keywords: Ancient human interbreeding; natural selection; Malthusian growth theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N10 O13 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env, nep-evo, nep-gro and nep-his
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https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/123757/1/MPRA_paper_123757.pdf revised version (application/pdf)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:121218

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