Differential mortality and the Donner Party disaster

The story of the Donner Party combines powerful American themes. The beginning of the tale is immersed in the romance of the western frontier and in the American dream of improving life by taking bold steps. The end of the tale, in contrast, is awash in death and cannibalism. No wonder Americans learn the story as children; no Grimm's fairy tale can match it. However, detailed analyses of the patterning of Donner Party deaths suggest that the story is even better read as a piece of biology than as a piece of history. Virtually all aspects of Donner Party mortality can now be explained by our knowledge of the factors that cause differential mortality in human societies. The differential fates of these emigrants show us natural selection in action.