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Hunter versus farmer hypothesis - Wikipedia
ADHD an advantage for nomadic tribesmen?
A propensity for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder might be beneficial to a group of Kenyan nomads, according to new research published in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology. Scientists have shown that an ADHD-associated version of the gene DRD4 is associated with better...
www.eurekalert.org
ADHD may have evolved to help foragers know when to cut their losses
Symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, such as impulsivity, may have helped foragers in hunter-gatherer communities quickly move on to new areas when food sources were low
The hypothesis notes that humans spent most of their evolutionary history in hunter-gatherer societies, and it argues that ADHD represents a lack of adaptation to farming societies. Hartmann first developed the idea as a mental model after his own son was diagnosed with ADHD, stating, "It's not hard science, and was never intended to be."
The hypothesis seeks to explain the "hyperfocus" aspect of ADHD, the distractibility factor in ADHD, the short attention span individuals with ADHD have for subjects that do not interest them (which may or may not trigger hyperfocus), and various other characteristics related to ADHD (namely, hyperactivity and impulsivity).
A key component of the hypothesis is that the proposed “hyperfocus” aspect of ADHD is a benefit under appropriate circumstances and that, in the hunter-gatherer cultures that preceded farming societies, hunters needed hyperfocus more than gatherers.
Hartmann claims that most or all humans were nomadic hunter-gatherers for hundreds of thousands of years, but that this standard gradually changed as agriculture developed in most societies, and more people worldwide became farmers. Over many years, most humans adapted to farming cultures, but Hartmann speculates that people with ADHD retained some of the older hunter characteristics.
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