Human Dispersals: Mathematical Models and the Archaeological Record

The theoretical literature on human population dispersal processes at the large time and space scale is reviewed, including references to and discussions of relevant empirical data. The basic Fisher-KIT reaction-diffusion system is summarized for the single population situation, and developments relating to the Allee effect, density-dependent dispersal, time delay, advection, spatial and temporal heterogeneity. and anomalous and stratified diffusion are reviewed. Two- and three-population competitive reaction-diffusion systems of Lotka-Volterra type are also reviewed, as are dynamic approaches to carrying capacity that incorporate predator-prey instabilities, ecosystem engineering, and gene-culture coevolution.