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Hackman JV, Campbell BC, Hewlett B, Page AE, Kramer KL. Adipose development is consistent across hunter-gatherers and diverges from western references. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240110. [PMID: 39191279 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite agreement that humans have evolved to be unusually fat primates, adipose patterning among hunter-gatherers has received little empirical consideration. Here we consider the development of adiposity among four contemporary groups of hunter-gatherers, the Aka, Savanna Pumé, Ju'/Hoansi and Agta using multi-level generalized additive mixed modelling to characterize the growth of tricep skinfolds from early childhood through adolescence. In contrast to references, hunter-gatherers show several consistent patterns: (i) children are lean with little fat accumulation; (ii) no adiposity rebound at 5 years is evident; (iii) girls on average have built 90% of their body size, and reach menarche when adiposity is at its maximum velocity; and (iv) a metabolic trade-off is evident in young, but not older children, such that both boys and girls prioritize skeletal growth during middle childhood, a trade-off that diminishes during adolescence when height velocity increases in pace with fat accumulation. Consistent results across hunter-gatherers living in diverse environments suggest that these patterns reflect a general forager pattern of development. The findings provide a valuable baseline for adipose development not apparent from reference populations. We emphasize both generalized trends among hunter-gatherers, and that inter-populational differences point to the plasticity with which humans organize growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph V Hackman
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Barry Hewlett
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University , Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Abigail E Page
- Divsion of Psychology, Brunel University London , London, UK
| | - Karen L Kramer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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2
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Roulette CJ, Kopels M. Perception of uncontrollable mortality risk is associated with food insecurity and reduced economic effort among resource-insecure college students during COVID-19. Am J Hum Biol 2024:e24081. [PMID: 38605445 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In the framework of the uncontrollable mortality risk hypothesis, resource scarcity intersects with mortality risk, shaping resource allocation strategies with enduring impacts on human health and wellbeing. Despite rising economic and food insecurity among US college students, little is known about how these insecurities relate to mortality risk, or how scarcity and mortality risk interact to shape college students' resource allocation strategies. We examine perceptions of resource scarcity and mortality risk and their associations with food insecurity and resource allocation strategies among economically insecure college students during COVID-19 lockdowns. Participants were recruited through an economic crisis response center at a major public university in the United States. A total of 118 participants completed an online Qualtrics survey assessing sociodemographic characteristics, perceptions of mortality risk and resource availability, food security, economic effort, and time perspective; a subset (n = 51) also participated in a telephone interview assessing psychological distress. In general, participants reported more environmental adversity and economic effort during COVID-19 lockdowns compared to before. Students experiencing higher levels of uncontrollable (and not controllable) mortality risk report lower levels of economic effort, and the association was strongest among students perceiving the fewest resources. We also found significant associations between uncontrollable mortality risk and food insecurity. Our results highlight uncontrollable mortality risk's influence on human well-being. Public health efforts should target the experiences and root structural causes of uncontrollable mortality risk, which among economically insecure college students increasingly involves food insecurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey J Roulette
- Department of Anthropology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Miriam Kopels
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
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3
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Ding W, Xu Y, Kondracki AJ, Sun Y. Childhood adversity and accelerated reproductive events: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2024; 230:315-329.e31. [PMID: 37820985 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2023.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Accelerated female reproductive events represent the early onset of reproductive events involving puberty, menarche, pregnancy loss, first sexual intercourse, first birth, parity, and menopause. This study aimed to explore the association between childhood adversity and accelerated female reproductive events. DATA SOURCES PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were systematically searched from September 22, 2022 to September 23, 2022. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Observational cohort, cross-sectional, and case-control studies in human populations were included if they reported the time of reproductive events for female individuals with experience of childhood adversity and were published in English. METHODS Two reviewers independently screened studies, obtained data, and assessed study quality, and conflicts were resolved by a third reviewer. Dichotomous outcomes were evaluated using meta-analysis, and pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were generated using random-effects models. Moderation analysis and meta-regression were used to investigate heterogeneity. RESULTS In total, 21 cohort studies, 9 cross-sectional studies, and 3 case-control studies were identified. Overall, female individuals with childhood adversity were nearly 2 times more likely to report accelerated reproductive events than those with no adversity exposure (odds ratio, 1.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.33-2.76; I2=99.6%; P<.001). Moderation analysis indicated that effect sizes for the types of childhood adversity ranged from an odds ratio of 1.61 (95% confidence interval, 1.23-2.09) for low socioeconomic status to 2.13 (95% confidence interval, 1.14-3.99) for dysfunctional family dynamics. Among the 7 groups based on different reproductive events, including early onset of puberty, early menarche, early sexual initiation, teenage childbirth, preterm birth, pregnancy loss, and early menopause, early sexual initiation had a nonsignificant correlation with childhood adversity (odds ratio, 2.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.88-8.30; I2=99.9%; P<.001). Considerable heterogeneity (I2>75%) between estimates was observed for over half of the outcomes. Age, study type, and method of data collection could explain 35.9% of the variance. CONCLUSION The literature tentatively corroborates that female individuals who reported adverse events in childhood are more likely to experience accelerated reproductive events. This association is especially strong for exposure to abuse and dysfunctional family dynamics. However, the heterogeneity among studies was high, requiring caution in interpreting the findings and highlighting the need for further evaluation of the types and timing of childhood events that influence accelerated female reproductive events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqin Ding
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yuxiang Xu
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Anthony J Kondracki
- Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA
| | - Ying Sun
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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4
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Richardson GB, Barbaro N, Nedelec JL, Liu H. Testing Environmental Effects on Age at Menarche and Sexual Debut within a Genetically Informative Twin Design. HUMAN NATURE (HAWTHORNE, N.Y.) 2023:10.1007/s12110-023-09451-5. [PMID: 37300790 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-023-09451-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Life-history-derived models of female sexual development propose menarche timing as a key regulatory mechanism driving subsequent sexual behavior. The current research utilized a twin subsample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health; n = 514) to evaluate environmental effects on timings of menarche and sexual debut, as well as address potential confounding of these effects within a genetically informative design. Results show mixed support for each life history model and provide little evidence rearing environment is important in the etiology of individual differences in age at menarche. This research calls into question the underlying assumptions of life-history-derived models of sexual development and highlights the need for more behavior genetic research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- George B Richardson
- School of Human Services, University of Cincinnati, PO Box 210002, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.
| | - Nicole Barbaro
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 654 Pioneer Drive, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA
| | - Joseph L Nedelec
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, PO Box 210389, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Hexuan Liu
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, PO Box 210389, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
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5
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Helfrecht C, Wang H, Dira SJ, DeAvila D, Meehan CL. DHEAS and nutritional status among Sidama, Ngandu, and Aka children: Effects of cortisol and implications for adrenarche. Am J Hum Biol 2023:e23881. [PMID: 36802115 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Adrenarche, the biological event marked by rising production of dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate (DHEAS), may represent a sensitive period in child development, with important implications for adolescence and beyond. Nutritional status, particularly BMI and/or adiposity, has long been hypothesized as a factor in DHEAS production but findings are inconsistent, and few studies have examined this among non-industrialized societies. In addition, cortisol has not been included in these models. We here evaluate effects of height- (HAZ), weight- (WAZ), and BMI- (BMIZ) for-age on DHEAS concentrations among Sidama agropastoralist, Ngandu horticulturalist, and Aka hunter-gatherer children. METHODS Heights and weights were collected from 206 children aged 2-18 years old. HAZ, WAZ, and BMIZ were calculated using CDC standards. DHEAS and cortisol assays were used to determine biomarker concentrations in hair. Generalized linear modeling was used to examine effects of nutritional status on DHEAS concentrations, as well as cortisol, controlling for age, sex, and population. RESULTS Despite the prevalence of low HAZ and WAZ scores, the majority (77%) of children had BMI z-scores >-2.0 SD. Nutritional status has no significant effect on DHEAS concentrations, controlling for age, sex, and population. Cortisol, however, is a significant predictor of DHEAS concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Our findings do not support a relationship between nutritional status and DHEAS. Instead, results suggest an important role for stress and ecology in DHEAS concentrations across childhood. Specifically, effects of environment via cortisol may be influential to patterning of DHEAS. Future work should investigate local ecological stressors and their relationship to adrenarche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Helfrecht
- Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Hui Wang
- Institute for Rural Health Research, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Samuel J Dira
- Department of Anthropology, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - David DeAvila
- Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Courtney L Meehan
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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6
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Yang A, Zhu N, Lu HJ, Chang L. Environmental risks, life history strategy, and developmental psychology. Psych J 2022; 11:433-447. [DOI: 10.1002/pchj.561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anting Yang
- Department of Psychology University of Macau Macau China
| | - Nan Zhu
- Department of Psychology University of Macau Macau China
| | - Hui Jing Lu
- Department of Applied Social Sciences the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Kowloon Hong Kong
| | - Lei Chang
- Department of Psychology University of Macau Macau China
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Neither environmental unpredictability nor harshness predict reliance on alloparental care among families in Cebu, Philippines. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:743-754. [PMID: 35074026 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Alloparental caregiving is key to humans' highly flexible reproductive strategies. Across species and across societies, alloparental care is more common in harsh and/or unpredictable environments (HUEs). Currently, however, it is unclear whether HUEs predict intra-population variation in alloparental care, or whether early life HUEs might predict later alloparental care use in adulthood, consistent with adaptive developmental plasticity. We test whether harshness measures (socioeconomic status (SES), environmental hygiene, crowding) and unpredictability measures (parental unemployment, paternal absence, household moves) predicted how much alloparental assistance families in Cebu, Philippines received, in a multigenerational study with data collected across four decades. Though worse environmental hygiene predicted more concurrent alloparental care in 1994, we found little evidence that HUEs predict within-population variation in alloparental care in this large-scale, industrialized society. Indeed, less-crowded conditions and higher SES predicted more alloparental care, not less, in the 1980s and in 2014 respectively, while paternal absence in middle childhood predicted less reliance on alloparental care in adulthood. In this cultural context, our results generally do not provide support for the translation of interspecific or intersocietal patterns linking HUEs and alloparental care to intra-population variation in alloparental care, nor for the idea that a reproductive strategy emphasizing alloparental care use may be preceded by early life HUEs.
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8
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Gordon DS. Extrinsic and Existential Mortality Risk in Reproductive Decision-Making: Examining the Effects of COVID-19 Experience and Climate Change Beliefs. Front Psychol 2021; 12:644600. [PMID: 34220614 PMCID: PMC8253051 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.644600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While the COVID-19 pandemic has presented an immediate risk to human life around the world, climate change poses an arguably greater-although less immediate-threat to our species' survival. Within the framework of life-history theory (LHT), this pre-registered study investigated whether extrinsic risk (i.e., external factors that pose a risk to an individual's life, e.g., COVID-19) and existential risk (i.e., risks with outcomes that threaten the existence of humans as a species, e.g., climate change) had similar or different relationships with reproductive decision-making. A UK representative sample of 325 participants between 18 and 35 years of age was asked to indicate their ideal number of children, ideal age to start having children, and whether their desire for a child had recently changed. Participants were asked about their experiences of COVID-19 and given a series of scales with which to assess their beliefs about climate change. In support of LHT, the study found evidence that knowing people who had been hospitalized with or died of COVID-19 was associated with a greater ideal number of children. Conversely, there was no clear evidence of a relationship between climate change beliefs and reproductive decision-making. The repercussions for understanding how we interpret and respond to different forms of mortality risk are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S. Gordon
- School of Psychology, University of Chester, Chester, United Kingdom
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9
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Pink KE, Quinlan RJ, Hin S. Famine-related mortality in early life and accelerated life histories in nineteenth-century Belgium. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201182. [PMID: 33143582 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Density-dependent and extrinsic mortality are predicted to accelerate reproductive maturation. The first 5 years of life is a proposed sensitive period for life-history regulation. This study examines the ways in which local mortality during this sensitive period was related to subsequent marriage timing in nineteenth-century Belgium (n women = 11 892; n men = 14 140). Local mortality during the sensitive period was inversely associated with age at first marriage for men and women controlling for literacy, occupational status, population growth and migration. Cox regression indicated decreased time to marriage for women (HR = 1.661, 95% CI: 1.542-1.789) and men (HR = 1.327, 95% CI: 1.238-1.422) from high mortality municipalities. Rising population growth rates were associated with earlier marriage for men and women. Migration in general was associated with later marriage for men and women. Consistent with life-history predictions, harsh ecological conditions during early life such as famine coincided with earlier marriage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina E Pink
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.,Family and Population Studies Group, Centre of Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Robert J Quinlan
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4910, USA
| | - Saskia Hin
- Family and Population Studies Group, Centre of Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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10
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Brown LJ, Myers S, Page AE, Emmott EH. Subjective Environmental Experiences and Women's Breastfeeding Journeys: A Survival Analysis Using an Online Survey of UK Mothers. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17217903. [PMID: 33126713 PMCID: PMC7662350 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17217903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Local physical and social environmental factors are important drivers of human health and behaviour. Environmental perception has been linked with both reproduction and parenting, but links between subjective environmental experiences and breastfeeding remain unclear. Using retrospective data from an online survey of UK mothers of children aged 0-24 months, Cox-Aalen survival models test whether negative subjective environmental experiences negatively correlated with any and exclusive breastfeeding (max n = 473). Matching predictions, hazards of stopping any breastfeeding were increased, albeit non-significantly, across the five environmental measures (HR: 1.05-1.26) Hazards for stopping exclusive breastfeeding were however (non-significantly) reduced (HR: 0.65-0.87). Score processes found no significant time-varying effects. However, estimated cumulative coefficient graphs showed that the first few weeks postpartum were most susceptible to environmental influences and that contrary to our predictions, mothers with worse subjective environmental experiences were less likely to stop breastfeeding at this time. In addition, the hazard of stopping exclusive breastfeeding declined over time for mothers who thought that littering was a problem. The predicted increased hazards of stopping breastfeeding were only evident in the later stages of any breastfeeding and only for mothers who reported littering as a problem or that people tended not to know each other. Perceived harsher physical and social environmental conditions are assumed to deter women from breastfeeding, but this may not always be the case. Women's hazards of stopping breastfeeding change over time and there may be particular timepoints in their breastfeeding journeys where subjective environmental experiences play a role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J. Brown
- Department of International Development, London School of Economics & Political Science, London WC2A 2AE, UK
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London NW3 2PF, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Sarah Myers
- UCL Anthropology, University College London, London WC1H 0BW, UK; (S.M.); (E.H.E.)
- BirthRites Independent Max Planck Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Abigail E. Page
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK;
| | - Emily H. Emmott
- UCL Anthropology, University College London, London WC1H 0BW, UK; (S.M.); (E.H.E.)
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Halcrow S, Warren R, Kushnick G, Nowell A. Care of Infants in the Past: Bridging evolutionary anthropological and bioarchaeological approaches. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2020; 2:e47. [PMID: 37588386 PMCID: PMC10427473 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2020.46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of care of infants and children in palaeoanthropological and human behavioural ecological research on the evolution of our species is evident in the diversity of research on human development, alloparental care, and learning and social interaction. There has been a recent surge of interest in modelling the social implications of care provision for people with serious disabilities in bioarchaeology. However, there is a lack of acknowledgement of infant and child care in bioarchaeology, despite the significant labour and resources that are required, and the implications this has for health outcomes within societies. Drawing on the recent proliferation of studies on infancy and childhood in evolutionary anthropology and bioarchaeology, this paper presents ways the subdisciplines may draw on research developments from each field to advance a more holistic understanding of the evolutionary, social and health significance of infant and children care in the past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siân Halcrow
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, New Zealand
| | - Ruth Warren
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, New Zealand
| | - Geoff Kushnick
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Research School of Humanities and the Arts, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Australia
| | - April Nowell
- Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Canada
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12
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Kwiek M, Piotrowski P. Do Criminals Live Faster Than Soldiers and Firefighters? : A Comparison of Biodemographic and Psychosocial Dimensions of Life History Theory. HUMAN NATURE (HAWTHORNE, N.Y.) 2020; 31:272-295. [PMID: 32827273 PMCID: PMC7518981 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-020-09374-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
A high risk of morbidity-mortality caused by a harsh and unpredictable environment is considered to be associated with a fast life history (LH) strategy, commonly linked with criminal behavior. However, offenders are not the only group with a high exposure to extrinsic morbidity-mortality. In the present study, we investigated the LH strategies employed by two groups of Polish men: incarcerated offenders (N = 84) as well as soldiers and firefighters (N = 117), whose professions involve an elevated risk of injury and premature death. The subjects were asked to complete the Mini-K (used as a psychosocial LH indicator) and a questionnaire which included a number of biodemographic LH variables. Although biodemographic and psychosocial LH indicators should be closely linked with each other, the actual connection between them is unclear. Thus, this study was driven by two aims: comparing LH strategies in two groups of men with a high risk of premature morbidity-mortality and investigating the relationship between the biodemographic and psychosocial LH dimensions. The study showed that incarcerated men employed faster LH strategies than soldiers and firefighters, but only in relation to biodemographic variables (e.g., number of siblings, age of sexual initiation, life expectancy). No intergroup differences emerged regarding psychosocial LH indicators. Moreover, the correlation analysis showed a weak association between biodemographic and psychosocial LH indicators. The results strengthen the legitimacy of incorporating biodemographic LH traits into research models and indicate the need for further research on the accuracy of the Mini-K. The possible explanations for the intergroup differences in LH strategies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Kwiek
- Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Przemysław Piotrowski
- Department of Forensic Psychology and Criminology Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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13
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Pink KE, Willführ KP, Voland E, Puschmann P. Effects of Individual Mortality Experience on Out-of-Wedlock Fertility in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Krummhörn, Germany. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2020; 31:141-154. [PMID: 32548757 PMCID: PMC7381461 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-020-09368-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Life history theory predicts that exposure to high mortality in early childhood leads to faster and riskier reproductive strategies. Individuals who grew up in a high mortality regime will not overly wait until they find a suitable partner and form a stable union because premature death would prevent them from reproducing. Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine whether women who experienced sibling death during early childhood (0–5 years) reproduced earlier and were at an increased risk of giving birth to an illegitimate child, with illegitimacy serving as a proxy for risky sexual behavior. Furthermore, we investigate whether giving birth out of wedlock is influenced by individual mortality experience or by more promiscuous sexual behavior that is clustered in certain families. Models are fitted on pedigree data from the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Krummhörn population in Germany. The results show a relationship between sibling death in early childhood and the risk of reproducing out of wedlock, and reproductive timing. The risk of giving birth out of wedlock is linked to individual mortality experience rather than to family-level effects. In contrast, adjustments in connubial reproductive timing are influenced more by family-level effects than by individual mortality experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina E Pink
- Family and Population Studies, Centre of Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Kai P Willführ
- Department I Educational- and Social Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Postfach 2503, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Eckart Voland
- Institute of Philosophy, Justus Liebig University Gießen, Rathenaustraße 8, 35390, Gießen, Germany
| | - Paul Puschmann
- Radboud Group for Historical Demography and Family History, Radboud University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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14
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Richardson GB, Placek C, Srinivas V, Jayakrishna P, Quinlan R, Madhivanan P. Environmental stress and human life history strategy development in rural and peri-urban South India. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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15
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Corpuz R, Bugental D. Life history and individual differences in male testosterone: Mixed evidence for early environmental calibration of testosterone response to first-time fatherhood. Horm Behav 2020; 120:104684. [PMID: 31945323 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Male testosterone (T) decreases in response to childbirth. Longitudinal support for this has come from samples across cultures. In this study, we look at individual differences in this phenomenon. Utilizing a sample of U.S. fathers, we employ life history theory to investigate the influence of a father's early experience on his neuroendocrine response to fatherhood. We conducted three home visits (n = 226 fathers) from the third trimester of pregnancy to when infants were 10 months old. In this sample, T declined from the third trimester of (a partner's) pregnancy to the early months of the postnatal period. T recovered to pre-birth levels by the time infants reached 10 months old. We did not find any evidence that one's subjective experience of their early environment could account for any meaningful variability in T calibration. Objective, "event" measures of early harshness (i.e., death of a sibling/friend) and unpredictability (i.e., parent upheaval) each uniquely predicted a younger age of sexual debut. Neither harshness nor unpredictability had any (direct or indirect) effects on T calibration. Age of sexual debut did predict the rate of T recovery from 3 to 10 months postnatal. The younger one's sexual debut, the more accelerated their T ascent during this period. We discuss the potential reasons for, and implications of our mixed results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randy Corpuz
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, United States of America.
| | - Daphne Bugental
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, United States of America
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Holdsworth EA, Appleton AA. Adverse childhood experiences and reproductive strategies in a contemporary U.S. population. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 171:37-49. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Holdsworth
- Department of Anthropology, College of Arts & SciencesUniversity at Albany, SUNY Albany New York
| | - Allison A. Appleton
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public HealthUniversity at Albany, SUNY Albany New York
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Frogs with denser group-spawning mature later and live longer. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13776. [PMID: 31551505 PMCID: PMC6760165 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50368-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The understanding of the intrinsic and extrinsic causes of longevity variation has deservedly received much attention in evolutionary ecologist. Here we tested the association between longevity and spawning-site groups across 38 species of Chinese anurans. As indicators of group-spawning we used spawning-site group size and spawning-site density, which we measured at 152 spawning sites in the field. We found that both spawning-site density and group size were positively associated with longevity. Male group-spawning (e.g., male spawning-site density and male spawning-site group size) was also positively correlated with longevity. A phylogenetic path analysis further revealed that longevity seems directly associated with spawning-site density and group size, and that the association in part depend on the 'groups-spawning-age at first reproduction' association. Our findings suggest that the increased group-spawning are likely to benefit in declining extrinsic mortality rates and living longer through improving total anti-predator behaviour under predation pressure.
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18
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Šaffa G, Kubicka AM, Hromada M, Kramer KL. Is the timing of menarche correlated with mortality and fertility rates? PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215462. [PMID: 30998739 PMCID: PMC6472797 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Timing of menarche has largely been studied in the context of a secular trend. However, since mortality and fertility rates are fundamental demographic factors linked to a population’s developmental and reproductive characteristics, we expect that the timing of menarche, a precondition to reproduction, is also associated with these vital rates. We conduct an analysis of 89 countries and 21 demographic, socioeconomic, nutritional, and educational variables selected for their known influence on menarche. Model results predict that a country’s fertility and adult female mortality rates are significant predictors of mean age at menarche, while other covariates are not. Specifically, menarche is delayed in countries with high mortality and high fertility, which may be proxies for assessing overall environmental quality. We emphasize that, for a comprehensive understanding of the timing of menarche, it is critical to take into account both individual- and population-level influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Šaffa
- Laboratory and Museum of Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, University of Presov, Prešov, Slovakia
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Maria Kubicka
- Department of Zoology, University of Life Sciences in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Martin Hromada
- Laboratory and Museum of Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, University of Presov, Prešov, Slovakia
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, Poland
- * E-mail:
| | - Karen Leslie Kramer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
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Stark G, Tamar K, Itescu Y, Feldman A, Meiri S. Cold and isolated ectotherms: drivers of reptilian longevity. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gavin Stark
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Karin Tamar
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC – Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Anat Feldman
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shai Meiri
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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20
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Sarma MS, Kuo PX, Bechayda SA, Kuzawa CW, Gettler LT. Exploring the links between early life and young adulthood social experiences and men's later life psychobiology as fathers. Physiol Behav 2018; 193:82-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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21
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Bulley A, Pepper GV. Cross-country relationships between life expectancy, intertemporal choice and age at first birth. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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22
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Brown LJ, Sear R. Local environmental quality positively predicts breastfeeding in the UK's Millennium Cohort Study. Evol Med Public Health 2017; 2017:120-135. [PMID: 29354262 PMCID: PMC5766197 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eox011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Breastfeeding is an important form of parental investment with clear health benefits. Despite this, rates remain low in the UK; understanding variation can therefore help improve interventions. Life history theory suggests that environmental quality may pattern maternal investment, including breastfeeding. We analyse a nationally representative dataset to test two predictions: (i) higher local environmental quality predicts higher likelihood of breastfeeding initiation and longer duration; (ii) higher socioeconomic status (SES) provides a buffer against the adverse influences of low local environmental quality. Methodology: We ran factor analysis on a wide range of local-level environmental variables. Two summary measures of local environmental quality were generated by this analysis-one 'objective' (based on an independent assessor's neighbourhood scores) and one 'subjective' (based on respondent's scores). We used mixed-effects regression techniques to test our hypotheses. Results: Higher objective, but not subjective, local environmental quality predicts higher likelihood of starting and maintaining breastfeeding over and above individual SES and area-level measures of environmental quality. Higher individual SES is protective, with women from high-income households having relatively high breastfeeding initiation rates and those with high status jobs being more likely to maintain breastfeeding, even in poor environmental conditions. Conclusions and Implications: Environmental quality is often vaguely measured; here we present a thorough investigation of environmental quality at the local level, controlling for individual- and area-level measures. Our findings support a shift in focus away from individual factors and towards altering the landscape of women's decision making contexts when considering behaviours relevant to public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Brown
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Rebecca Sear
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
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23
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Abstract
AbstractSocioeconomic differences in behaviour are pervasive and well documented, but their causes are not yet well understood. Here, we make the case that a cluster of behaviours is associated with lower socioeconomic status (SES), which we call “the behavioural constellation of deprivation.” We propose that the relatively limited control associated with lower SES curtails the extent to which people can expect to realise deferred rewards, leading to more present-oriented behaviour in a range of domains. We illustrate this idea using the specific factor of extrinsic mortality risk, an important factor in evolutionary theoretical models. We emphasise the idea that the present-oriented behaviours of the constellation are a contextually appropriate response to structural and ecological factors rather than a pathology or a failure of willpower. We highlight some principles from evolutionary theoretical models that can deepen our understanding of how socioeconomic inequalities can become amplified and embedded. These principles are that (1) small initial disparities can lead to larger eventual inequalities, (2) feedback loops can embed early-life circumstances, (3) constraints can breed further constraints, and (4) feedback loops can operate over generations. We discuss some of the mechanisms by which SES may influence behaviour. We then review how the contextually appropriate response perspective that we have outlined fits with other findings about control and temporal discounting. Finally, we discuss the implications of this interpretation for research and policy.
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McAllister LS, Pepper GV, Virgo S, Coall DA. The evolved psychological mechanisms of fertility motivation: hunting for causation in a sea of correlation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150151. [PMID: 27022078 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cultural, ecological, familial and physiological factors consistently influence fertility behaviours, however, the proximate psychological mechanisms underlying fertility decisions in humans are poorly understood. Understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying human fertility may illuminate the final processes by which some of these known predictors have their influence. To date, research into the psychological mechanisms underlying fertility has been fragmented. Aspects of reproductive psychology have been examined by researchers in a range of fields, but the findings have not been systematically integrated in one review. We provide such a review, examining current theories and research on psychological mechanisms of fertility. We examine the methods and populations used in the research, as well as the disciplines and theoretical perspectives from which the work has come. Much of the work that has been done to date is methodologically limited to examining correlations between ecological, social and economic factors and fertility. We propose, and support with examples, the use of experimental methods to differentiate causal factors from correlates. We also discuss weaknesses in the experimental research, including limited work with non-WEIRD (western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic) populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa S McAllister
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Gillian V Pepper
- Evolutionary Demography Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Sandra Virgo
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, The Baddiley-Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK
| | - David A Coall
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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25
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Coall DA, Tickner M, McAllister LS, Sheppard P. Developmental influences on fertility decisions by women: an evolutionary perspective. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150146. [PMID: 27022073 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental environments are crucial for shaping our life course. Elements of the early social and biological environments have been consistently associated with reproduction in humans. To date, a strong focus has been on the relationship between early stress, earlier menarche and first child birth in women. These associations, found predominately in high-income countries, have been usefully interpreted within life-history theory frameworks. Fertility, on the other hand--a missing link between an individual's early environment, reproductive strategy and fitness--has received little attention. Here, we synthesize this literature by examining the associations between early adversity, age at menarche and fertility and fecundity in women. We examine the evidence that potential mechanisms such as birth weight, childhood body composition, risky health behaviours and developmental influences on attractiveness link the early environment and fecundity and fertility. The evidence that menarche is associated with fertility and fecundity is good. Currently, owing to the small number of correlational studies and mixed methodologies, the evidence that early adversity predicts fecundity and fertility is not conclusive. This area of research is in its infancy; studies examining early adversity and adult fertility decisions that can also examine likely biological, social and psychological pathways present opportunities for future fertility research.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Coall
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - M Tickner
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - L S McAllister
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - P Sheppard
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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26
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Caudell M, Quinlan R. Life-history theory and climate change: resolving population and parental investment paradoxes. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160470. [PMID: 28018631 PMCID: PMC5180129 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Population growth in the next half-century is on pace to raise global carbon emissions by half. Carbon emissions are associated with fertility as a by-product of somatic and parental investment, which is predicted to involve time orientation/preference as a mediating psychological mechanism. Here, we draw upon life-history theory (LHT) to investigate associations between future orientation and fertility, and their impacts on carbon emissions. We argue 'K-strategy' life history (LH) in high-income countries has resulted in parental investment behaviours involving future orientation that, paradoxically, promote unsustainable carbon emissions, thereby lowering the Earth's K or carrying capacity. Increasing the rate of approach towards this capacity are 'r-strategy' LHs in low-income countries that promote population growth. We explore interactions between future orientation and development that might slow the rate of approach towards global K. Examination of 67 000 individuals across 75 countries suggests that future orientation interacts with the relationship between environmental risk and fertility and with development related parental investment, particularly investment in higher education, to slow population growth and mitigate per capita carbon emissions. Results emphasize that LHT will be an important tool in understanding the demographic and consumption patterns that drive anthropogenic climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Caudell
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Robert Quinlan
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
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27
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Quinlan RJ, Dira SJ, Caudell M, Quinlan MB. Culture and Psychological Responses to Environmental Shocks: Cultural Ecology of Sidama Impulsivity and Niche Construction in Southwest Ethiopia. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1086/688213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Amir D, Jordan MR, Bribiescas RG. A Longitudinal Assessment of Associations between Adolescent Environment, Adversity Perception, and Economic Status on Fertility and Age of Menarche. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155883. [PMID: 27249338 PMCID: PMC4889152 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Perceptions of environmental adversity and access to economic resources in adolescence can theoretically affect the timing of life history transitions and investment in reproductive effort. Here we present evidence of correlations between variables associated with subjective extrinsic mortality, economic status, and reproductive effort in a nationally representative American population of young adults. Methods We used a longitudinal database that sampled American participants (N ≥ 1,579) at four points during early adolescence and early adulthood to test whether perceptions of environmental adversity and early economic status were associated with reproductive effort. Results We found that subjectively high ratings of environmental danger and low access to economic resources in adolescence were significantly associated with an earlier age of menarche in girls and earlier, more robust fertility in young adulthood. Conclusion While energetics and somatic condition remain as possible sources of variation, the results of this study support the hypothesis that perceptions of adversity early in life and limited access to economic resources are associated with differences in reproductive effort and scheduling. How these factors may covary with energetics and somatic condition merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorsa Amir
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Matthew R. Jordan
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Richard G. Bribiescas
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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30
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Uggla C, Mace R. Local ecology influences reproductive timing in Northern Ireland independently of individual wealth. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Gettler LT, McDade TW, Bragg JM, Feranil AB, Kuzawa CW. Developmental energetics, sibling death, and parental instability as predictors of maturational tempo and life history scheduling in males from Cebu, Philippines. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2015; 158:175-184. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lee T. Gettler
- Department of Anthropology; University of Notre Dame; Notre Dame IN 46556
| | - Thomas W. McDade
- Department of Anthropology; Northwestern University; Evanston IL 60208
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University; Evanston IL 60208
| | - Jared M. Bragg
- Department of Anthropology; Northwestern University; Evanston IL 60208
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University; Evanston IL 60208
| | - Alan B. Feranil
- USC Office of Population Studies Foundation and Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and History, College of Arts and Sciences; University of San Carlos; Talamban Cebu City Philippines
| | - Christopher W. Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology; Northwestern University; Evanston IL 60208
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University; Evanston IL 60208
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32
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Kushnick G, Hanowell B, Kim JH, Langstieh B, Magnano V, Oláh K. Experimental evidence for convergent evolution of maternal care heuristics in industrialized and small-scale populations. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:140518. [PMID: 26543577 PMCID: PMC4632541 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.140518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Maternal care decision rules should evolve responsiveness to factors impinging on the fitness pay-offs of care. Because the caretaking environments common in industrialized and small-scale societies vary in predictable ways, we hypothesize that heuristics guiding maternal behaviour will also differ between these two types of populations. We used a factorial vignette experiment to elicit third-party judgements about likely caretaking decisions of a hypothetical mother and her child when various fitness-relevant factors (maternal age and access to resources, and offspring age, sex and quality) were varied systematically in seven populations-three industrialized and four small-scale. Despite considerable variation in responses, we found that three of five main effects, and the two severity effects, exhibited statistically significant industrialized/ small-scale population differences. All differences could be explained as adaptive solutions to industrialized versus small-scale caretaking environments. Further, we found gradients in the relationship between the population-specific estimates and national-level socio-economic indicators, further implicating important aspects of the variation in industrialized and small-scale caretaking environments in shaping heuristics. Although there is mounting evidence for a genetic component to human maternal behaviour, there is no current evidence for interpopulation variation in candidate genes. We nonetheless suggest that heuristics guiding maternal behaviour in diverse societies emerge via convergent evolution in response to similar selective pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoff Kushnick
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Ben Hanowell
- Analytics Department, Redfin Corporation, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jun-Hong Kim
- Institute of Cross-Cultural Studies, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Banrida Langstieh
- Department of Anthropology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, India
| | - Vittorio Magnano
- Department of Dentistry, Universidad Europea de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Katalin Oláh
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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33
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Fouts HN, Silverman LS. Parenting and environmental risk : an examination of child loss and maternal involvement among Bofi foragers in Central Africa. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2015; 26:73-88. [PMID: 25742709 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-015-9221-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The majority of adaptationist models and research related to parenting strategies have focused on extrinsic or population-level risk as predictors of parenting. However, some researchers have called for greater consideration of cultural factors as well as on intracultural variation in parenting. This study uses a biocultural approach to examine intracultural variation in environmental risk and parenting among the Bofi foragers in Central Africa. In particular, we examine 30 mothers' experiences of child loss as a predictor of variation in maternal involvement (proximity, holding, and affection) with their young children. Multivariate and univariate analyses indicate that child loss accounted for substantial variation in maternal behaviors and was predictive of maternal holding and the expression of physical affection. In sum, our findings indicate that intracultural variation in child loss is predictive of maternal involvement with young children and that a biocultural approach is useful in explaining this variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hillary N Fouts
- Department of Child and Family Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA,
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34
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Pepper GV, Nettle D. Perceived Extrinsic Mortality Risk and Reported Effort in Looking after Health. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2014; 25:378-92. [DOI: 10.1007/s12110-014-9204-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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35
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Störmer C, Lummaa V. Increased mortality exposure within the family rather than individual mortality experiences triggers faster life-history strategies in historic human populations. PLoS One 2014; 9:e83633. [PMID: 24421897 PMCID: PMC3885450 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 11/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Life History Theory predicts that extrinsic mortality risk is one of the most important factors shaping (human) life histories. Evidence from contemporary populations suggests that individuals confronted with high mortality environments show characteristic traits of fast life-history strategies: they marry and reproduce earlier, have shorter birth intervals and invest less in their offspring. However, little is known of the impact of mortality experiences on the speed of life histories in historical human populations with generally higher mortality risk, and on male life histories in particular. Furthermore, it remains unknown whether individual-level mortality experiences within the family have a greater effect on life-history decisions or family membership explains life-history variation. In a comparative approach using event history analyses, we study the impact of family versus individual-level effects of mortality exposure on two central life-history parameters, ages at first marriage and first birth, in three historical human populations (Germany, Finland, Canada). Mortality experience is measured as the confrontation with sibling deaths within the natal family up to an individual's age of 15. Results show that the speed of life histories is not adjusted according to individual-level mortality experiences but is due to family-level effects. The general finding of lower ages at marriage/reproduction after exposure to higher mortality in the family holds for both females and males. This study provides evidence for the importance of the family environment for reproductive timing while individual-level mortality experiences seem to play only a minor role in reproductive life history decisions in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Störmer
- Institut für Philosophie, Justus-Liebig Universität Gieβen, Gieβen, Germany
| | - Virpi Lummaa
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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36
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Death and the time of your life: experiences of close bereavement are associated with steeper financial future discounting and earlier reproduction. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2013.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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37
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Krupp DB. Marital, reproductive, and educational behaviors covary with life expectancy. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2012; 41:1409-1414. [PMID: 22484517 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-012-9949-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2011] [Revised: 10/21/2011] [Accepted: 02/04/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Theories of "life history evolution" suggest that individuals might adjust the timing of marriage and reproduction, as well as their propensity to terminate a marriage or pregnancy and invest in skill development, in response to indicators of the locally prevailing level of life expectancy. In particular, such theories generate the hypothesis that foreshortened time horizons lead to hastened reproduction and marriage whereas lengthier time horizons increase the likelihood of reproductive and marital termination and lead to greater investment in education. Here, I show that the scheduling and occurrence of marital and reproductive behavior (including both initiation and termination), as well as levels of educational attainment and investment, covary with life expectancy, even after controlling for the effects of affluence. In analyses of variation in marital, reproductive, and educational behaviors at two jurisdictional levels in Canada, life expectancy was positively correlated with patterns of age-specific fertility, age at first marriage, divorce, abortion, conferral of high school and higher education degrees (with the exception of the trades) and mean number of years of schooling. The large and highly consistent relationships observed between life expectancy and the behaviors under investigation suggest that these associations may be mediated by individual "perceptions" of life expectancy, though more research is needed before conclusions can be firmly reached.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Brian Krupp
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Queen's University, Jeffery Hall, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
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38
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Meehan CL, Quinlan R, Malcom CD. Cooperative breeding and maternal energy expenditure among Aka foragers. Am J Hum Biol 2012. [PMID: 23203600 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Previous research among foragers and theory suggests that nonmaternal caregivers offer essential assistance, which supports female reproduction and the costs associated with lengthy child development. Mothers' face trade-offs in energy allocation between work and childcare, particularly when mothers have an infant. These trade-offs likely have crucial impacts on the pace of reproduction and child health. Caregivers can help mothers with childcare or they can reduce a mother's nonchildcare workload. If caregivers assist mothers by substituting childcare, then maternal energy expenditure (EE) in other work activities should increase. If caregivers assist mothers by substituting labor, then maternal EE in work activities should decrease when caregivers are present. METHODS Utilizing detailed, quantitative behavioral observations and EE data, we test these propositions with data from 28 Aka forager mothers with children <35 months old. We isolate paternal, grandmaternal, and other caregiver effects on maternal EE and childcare in multivariate analyses. RESULTS Our results show that caregivers (largely grandmothers) significantly reduce mothers' work EE by as much 216 kcal across a 9-hour observation period, while fathers and juveniles appear to increase maternal EE. Direct childcare from grandmothers decreases maternal direct care by about one-to-one indicating a labor substitution. Direct childcare from fathers decreases maternal care by almost 4 to 1, resulting in a net reduction of total direct care from all caregivers. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that there are multiple pathways by which helpers offset maternal work/childcare trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney L Meehan
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4910, USA.
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Caudell MA, Quinlan RJ. Resource availability, mortality, and fertility: a path analytic approach to global life-history variation. Hum Biol 2012; 84:101-25. [PMID: 22708816 DOI: 10.3378/027.084.0201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Humans exhibit considerable diversity in timing and rate of reproduction. Life-history theory (LHT) suggests that ecological cues of resource richness and survival probabilities shape human phenotypes across populations. Populations experiencing high extrinsic mortality due to uncertainty in resources should exhibit faster life histories. Here we use a path analytic (PA) approach informed by LHT to model the multiple pathways between resources, mortality rates, and reproductive behavior in 191 countries. Resources that account for the most variance in population mortality rates are predicted to explain the most variance in total fertility rates. Results indicate that resources (e.g., calories, sanitation, education, and health-care expenditures) influence fertility rates in paths through communicable and noncommnunicable diseases. Paths acting through communicable disease are more strongly associated with fertility than are paths through noncommunicable diseases. These results suggest that a PA approach may help disaggregate extrinsic and intrinsic mortality factors in cross-cultural analyses. Such knowledge may be useful in developing targeted policies to decrease teenage pregnancy, total fertility rates, and thus issues associated with overpopulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Caudell
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4910, USA.
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Abstract
An evolutionary-biological perspective on the effects of the extrafamilial and familial environment on multiple psychological, behavioral, and even somatic features of children’s development challenges prevailing thinking about human development, which regards some contextual conditions and their sequelae as “good” and others as “bad.” Theory and research on the development of human reproductive strategies based on such evolutionary thinking has evolved substantially over the past two decades. In this article, I review two decades of theory and research findings pertaining to the development of reproductive strategies—highlighting the contextual regulation of pubertal timing, the distinctive role of fathers, individuals’ differential susceptibility to rearing influences, mechanisms of influence, and new ways of conceptualizing influential environmental features—and outline future directions for research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay Belsky
- University of California, Davis
- King Abdulaziz University
- Birkbeck University of London
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Placek CD, Quinlan RJ. Adolescent fertility and risky environments: a population-level perspective across the lifespan. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:4003-8. [PMID: 22833268 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.1022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Timing of first reproduction is a key life-history variable with important implications for global economic development and health. Life-history theory predicts that human reproductive strategies are shaped by mortality regimes. This study provides the first test of the relationship between population-level adolescent fertility (AF) and extrinsic risk at two time points. Data are from United Nations database and were analysed using mediation and moderation techniques. The goals were to determine whether (i) early risk has a stronger impact on fertility than current risk; (ii) current risk mediates the relationship between early risk and fertility outcomes; and (iii) different levels of early risk influence the relationship between current risk and fertility. Results indicated that current risk partially mediated the relationship between early risk and fertility, with early risk having the strongest impact on reproduction. Measures for early and current mortality did not show significant interaction effects. However, a series of separate regression analyses using a quantile split of early risk indicated that high levels of early risk strengthened the relationship between current risk and AF. Overall, these findings demonstrate that reproductive strategies are significantly influenced by fluctuations of early mortality as well as current environmental cues of harshness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlyn D Placek
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, PO Box 644910, Pullman, WA 99163, USA.
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Abstract
Evolutionary ecological theory predicts that sleep-wake state tradeoffs may be related to local environmental conditions and should therefore correlate to alterations in behavioral life history strategies. It was predicted that firefighters who slept more and reported better quality sleep on average would exhibit lower impulsivity inclinations related to slower life history trajectories. UPPS impulsivity scores and self-reported sleep averages were analyzed and indicated a negative association between sleep variables and urgency and a positive association with premeditation. Perseverance, and in some cases premeditation, however, disclosed an unpredicted marginally significant positive association between increased and emergency nighttime waking-related sleep deprivation. Sensation seeking was not associated with sleep variables, but was strongly associated with number of biological children. This research contributes to understanding the implications of human sleep across ecological and behavioral contexts and implies further research is necessary for constructing evolutionarily oriented measures of impulsivity inclination and its meaning in the context of life history strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alissa A. Miller
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, USA
| | - Stacey L. Rucas
- Department of Social Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, USA
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Waynforth D. Life-history theory, chronic childhood illness and the timing of first reproduction in a British birth cohort. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:2998-3002. [PMID: 22456889 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-history theoretical models show that a typical evolutionarily optimal response of a juvenile organism to high mortality risk is to reach reproductive maturity earlier. Experimental studies in a range of species suggest the existence of adaptive flexibility in reproductive scheduling to maximize fitness just as life-history theory predicts. In humans, supportive evidence has come from studies comparing neighbourhoods with different mortality rates, historical and cross-cultural data. Here, the prediction is tested in a novel way in a large (n = 9099), longitudinal sample using data comparing age at first reproduction in individuals with and without life-expectancy-reducing chronic disease diagnosed during childhood. Diseases selected for inclusion as chronic illnesses were those unlikely to be significantly affected by shifting allocation of effort away from reproduction towards survival; those which have comparatively large effects on mortality and life expectancy; and those which are not profoundly disabling. The results confirmed the prediction that chronic disease would associate with early age at first reproduction: individuals growing up with a serious chronic disease were 1.6 times more likely to have had a first child by age 30. Analysis of control variables also confirmed past research findings on links between being raised father-absent and early pubertal development and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Waynforth
- Department of Population Health and Primary Care, The Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK.
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