== Recent studies give new ideas == 

 Recent studies by scientists in Japan working with monkeys show how food supply influences the degree of conflict in the community. The field  studies show that when food is scarce and the primates have to search far and wide to find enough food they unite behind a single leader and devote all their time to food gathering. This was contrasted to another primate community, in a similar environment, that had regular access to plenty of food with the result they had lots of spare time. As a result the males in the group often  challenging each other,there were regular  conflicts and fights within the community. This is what Belich suggested was the result of the new plentiful food supply in the far north from 1805. Science suggest he was possibly right in this case. 

 However scientists in Japan did note that the second group, while maintaining harmony within their community,were forced by lack of food to scavenge outside of their normal territory to survive and this bought them into conflict with other primate communities who responded with violence to the invaders. This best describes the reaction of the various hapu and iwi who were targeted by Ngapuhi invaders. The scientist observed that when the poorly fed entered the territory of others they were quick to kill and eat other primates they caught.  
 Among groups of primates who show these behaviours there was  no social mechanism to control internal aggression brought about by a large surplus of food. Complex social mechanism to solve this problem only develop over a long time. In the far north the arrival of Europeans with gifts of new, more productive food did not allow sufficient time for the Maori to develop the necessary social mechanisms. This is further reinforced by the long tradition of inter hapu and iwi conflict, emphasizing warfare as the main way of solving complex issues. This aspect is shown clearly by the reaction of the various Maori who were taken to England in the early 19th century. To a man they were far more impressed by weapons and weapon factories than anything else. While they were amused by other aspects of society such as dress, buildings, trains and theatre they were only entranced and fixated by weaponry.Claudia