Levels of Explanation in Behavioral Ecology Understanding Seemingly Paradoxical Behavior Along the Central Coast of Alta California

Archaeological applications of behavioral ecology apply models developed for synchronic phenomena to diachronic trends. Some problems arise out of this mismatch, one of which involves distinguishing between functional and historical levels of explanation. Historical explanations attempt to outline the diachronic emergence or evolution of some behavioral trait or strategy; in contrast, functional explanations attempt to explain the adaptive benefits an individual gains from a behavior or strategy. Here we examine the relationship between these two levels of explanation with technological and subsistence data from California's central coast, specifically focusing on explaining the function of seemingly paradoxical transitions in fishing technology that occurred during the late Holocene. By keeping these two levels of explanation separate and distinct, we highlight how archaeologists can explain the adaptive function of prehistoric human behavior that occurred within a particular historical context.