This research is proposed under the Small Grants for Exploratory Research program and focusses on the environmental and cultural determinants of human fertility. It is becoming increasingly apparent that many variables such as subsistence behavior greatly affect fertility and demography and that cross-cultural studies are of major significance in teasing apart the factors involved. The primary objective is to assess the feasibility of a full scale project concerning the reproductive ecology of three native groups in South India. The three groups involved would allow the comparison of groups living in the same physical environment but practicing different subsistence patterns as well as the responses to culture change. The investigator needs to assess the verbal and written reports as to the subsistence adaptations in these populations and to verify that these three groups will allow the appropriate comparisons.
