Age-dependent Mortality, Fecundity, Mobility Effects on the Neolithic Transition

Abstract

We present a model that makes it possible to analyze the effect of the age dependences of mortality, fertility and dispersal persistence on the speed of propagating fronts in two spatial dimensions. Speeds derived analytically agree very well with those obtained from numerical simulations. Infant mortality and total fecundity are the most relevant parameters affecting the front speed, whereas the adult mortality rates and dispersal persistences are less important. We apply the model to the Neolithic transition in Europe. The predictions of the model are consistent with the archaeological data for the front speed, provided that the infant mortality lies within a relatively narrow range