Abstract
Recent studies emphasise the mosaic character of the process of neolithisation in northwestern
Europe. However, some overarching motives influencing the uptake of farming can be
identified across regions. We model the importance of evolutionary processes underlying
neolithisation. We focus on the southern part of the Low Countries, where the uptake of
agriculture takes distinct trajectories in different biomes. We analyse the transition in terms of
fitness benefits that foraging and agriculture bestow on the actors involved. We suggest that
different substrates offer different fitness benefits with regard to the uptake of farming and
that these benefits differed between the sexes, leading to differing “optimal” strategies for
males and females regarding whether and how to adopt Neolithic novelties.