Modeling Folsom mobility, mating strategies, and technological organization in the northern Plains

Lithic and contemporary forager data facilitate the understanding of northern Plains Folsom mobility, technological organization, and mating strategies. Northern Plains Folsom foragers emphasized local and regional travel, with only occasional direct acquisition of stone in exotic locales. The infrequency of such movements is reflected in the low percentages of exotic stone in northern Plains Folsom sites. Intercultural and intracultural forager mating distance data support the hypothesis that population density is a significant control on distance traveled to find a mate. Individuals in lower density populations travel farther to locate mates than those in more highly populated groups. No ethnographic evidence supports the hypothesis that early Paleoindians turned to inbreeding in the face of reduced mating opportunities. Rather, given low population densities of Folsom foragers in the northern Plains, some individuals likely sought mates during long-distance movements.