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Fedurek P, Danel D, Aktipis A, Berbesque JC, Cronk L, Makambi EJ, Lehmann J, Mabulla I, Koziel S. Height and integration in proximity networks among Tanzanian Hadza men. Am J Hum Biol 2024:e24129. [PMID: 38965770 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years there has been much interest in investigating the extent to which social status or prestige are related to an individual's degree of integration in social networks. It has been shown that, among hunter-gatherers, social characteristics of an individual based on social status or prestige, such foraging reputation, friendship popularity, and pro-social reputation, can influence the extent to which an individual is embedded in a social network. However, little is known regarding the extent to which height, a physical trait that in Western societies is often associated with social status, is associated in integration in social networks among small-scale hunter gatherers. Here, we investigated the relationship between height and a position an individual occupies in proximity networks among Hadza men (n = 30), hunter-gatherers living in Northern Tanzania. The results of our study show that height is not related to the position an individual maintains in proximity networks. We argue that, in a relatively egalitarian small-scale hunter-gatherer societies such as the Hadza, social interactions driving proximity networks might be influenced by social traits, such as popularity and hunting reputation, rather than physical traits, such as height.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Fedurek
- School of Human and Life Sciences, Roehampton University, London, England, UK
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Dariusz Danel
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Athena Aktipis
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - J Colette Berbesque
- School of Human and Life Sciences, Roehampton University, London, England, UK
| | - Lee Cronk
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - E Jerryson Makambi
- Mount Meru Tour Guide and International Language School, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Julia Lehmann
- School of Human and Life Sciences, Roehampton University, London, England, UK
| | | | - Slawomir Koziel
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
- Department of Preclinical Sciences, Pharmacology and Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Sciences and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland
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Rosinger AY, Rosinger K, Barnhart K, Todd M, Hamilton T, Aries K, Nate D. When the flood passes, does health return? A short panel examining water and food insecurity, nutrition, and disease after an extreme flood in lowland Bolivia. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23806. [PMID: 36165503 PMCID: PMC10116996 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Flooding is the most frequent extreme-weather disaster and disproportionately burdens marginalized populations. This article examines how food and water insecurity, blood pressure (BP), nutritional status, and diarrheal and respiratory illnesses changed during the 2 months following a historic flood in lowland Bolivia. METHODS Drawing on longitudinal data from Tsimane' forager-horticulturalist (n = 118 household heads; n = 129 children) directly after a historic 2014 flood and ~2 months later, we use fixed effects linear regression and random effects logistic regression models to test changes in the markers of well-being and health over the recovery process. RESULTS Results demonstrated that water insecurity scores decreased significantly 2 month's postflood, while food insecurity scores remained high. Adults' systolic and diastolic BP significantly declined 2 months after the flood's conclusion. Adults experienced losses in measures of adiposity (BMI, sum of four skinfolds, waist circumference). Children gained weight and BMI-for-age Z-scores indicating buffering of children by adults from food stress that mainly occurred in the community closer to the main market town with greater access to food aid. Odds of diarrhea showed a nonsignificant decline, while cough increased significantly for both children and adults 2 months postflood. CONCLUSIONS Water insecurity and BP improved during the recovery process, while high levels of food insecurity persisted, and nutritional stress and respiratory illness worsened. Not all indicators of well-being and health recover at the same rate after historic flooding events. Planning for multiphase recovery is critical to improve health of marginalized populations after flooding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher Y. Rosinger
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kelly Rosinger
- Department of Education Policy Studies and School of Public Policy, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Barnhart
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Maddie Todd
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Tate Hamilton
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - Dino Nate
- The Community of La Cruz, Beni, Bolivia
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Sorokowski P, Sorokowska A, Butovskaya M, Stulp G, Huanca T, Fink B. Body Height Preferences and Actual Dimorphism in Stature between Partners in
Two Non-Western Societies (Hadza and Tsimane'). EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 13:147470491501300209. [PMCID: PMC10496482 DOI: 10.1177/147470491501300209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Body height influences human mate preferences and choice. A typical finding in Western societies is that women prefer men who are taller than themselves and, equivalently, men prefer women who are shorter than themselves. However, recent reports in non-Western societies (e.g., the Himba in Namibia) challenge the view on the universality of such preferences. Here we report on male and female height preferences in two non-Western populations—the Hadza (Tanzania) and the Tsimane' (Bolivia)—and the relationships between body height preferences and the height of actual partners. In the Hadza, most individuals preferred a sexual dimorphism in stature (SDS) with the man being much taller than the woman. Preferences for SDS and actual partner SDS were positively and significantly correlated in both men and women, suggesting that people who preferred larger height differences also had larger height differences with their partners. In the Tsimane', the majority of men preferred an SDS with the man being taller than the woman, but women did not show such a preference. Unlike in the Hadza, SDS preference was not significantly correlated to actual partner SDS. We conclude that patterns of height preferences and choices in the Hadza and Tsimane' are different than those observed in Western societies, and discuss possible causes for the observed differences between non-Western and Western societies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Agnieszka Sorokowska
- Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden,
Germany; Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Marina Butovskaya
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia;
National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Gert Stulp
- Department of Sociology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tomas Huanca
- Centro Boliviano de Investigación y de Desarrollo Socio Integral, Correo Central, San
Borja, Beni, Bolivia
| | - Bernhard Fink
- Institute of Psychology and Courant Research Centre Evolution of Social Behavior,
University of Göttingen, Germany
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Kramer KL, Veile A, Otárola-Castillo E. Sibling Competition & Growth Tradeoffs. Biological vs. Statistical Significance. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150126. [PMID: 26938742 PMCID: PMC4777386 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Early childhood growth has many downstream effects on future health and reproduction and is an important measure of offspring quality. While a tradeoff between family size and child growth outcomes is theoretically predicted in high-fertility societies, empirical evidence is mixed. This is often attributed to phenotypic variation in parental condition. However, inconsistent study results may also arise because family size confounds the potentially differential effects that older and younger siblings can have on young children's growth. Additionally, inconsistent results might reflect that the biological significance associated with different growth trajectories is poorly understood. This paper addresses these concerns by tracking children's monthly gains in height and weight from weaning to age five in a high fertility Maya community. We predict that: 1) as an aggregate measure family size will not have a major impact on child growth during the post weaning period; 2) competition from young siblings will negatively impact child growth during the post weaning period; 3) however because of their economic value, older siblings will have a negligible effect on young children's growth. Accounting for parental condition, we use linear mixed models to evaluate the effects that family size, younger and older siblings have on children's growth. Congruent with our expectations, it is younger siblings who have the most detrimental effect on children's growth. While we find statistical evidence of a quantity/quality tradeoff effect, the biological significance of these results is negligible in early childhood. Our findings help to resolve why quantity/quality studies have had inconsistent results by showing that sibling competition varies with sibling age composition, not just family size, and that biological significance is distinct from statistical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L. Kramer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States of America
| | - Amanda Veile
- Department of Anthropology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Erik Otárola-Castillo
- Department of Anthropology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
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Abstract
In this review, the potential causes and consequences of adult height, a measure of cumulative net nutrition, in modern populations are summarized. The mechanisms linking adult height and health are examined, with a focus on the role of potential confounders. Evidence across studies indicates that short adult height (reflecting growth retardation) in low- and middle-income countries is driven by environmental conditions, especially net nutrition during early years. Some of the associations of height with health and social outcomes potentially reflect the association between these environmental factors and such outcomes. These conditions are manifested in the substantial differences in adult height that exist between and within countries and over time. This review suggests that adult height is a useful marker of variation in cumulative net nutrition, biological deprivation, and standard of living between and within populations and should be routinely measured. Linkages between adult height and health, within and across generations, suggest that adult height may be a potential tool for monitoring health conditions and that programs focused on offspring outcomes may consider maternal height as a potentially important influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Perkins
- J.M. Perkins is with the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; and the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. S.V. Subramanian is with the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; and the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. G. Davey Smith is with the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom. E. Özaltin is with the Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice, The World Bank, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - S V Subramanian
- J.M. Perkins is with the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; and the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. S.V. Subramanian is with the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; and the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. G. Davey Smith is with the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom. E. Özaltin is with the Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice, The World Bank, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - George Davey Smith
- J.M. Perkins is with the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; and the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. S.V. Subramanian is with the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; and the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. G. Davey Smith is with the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom. E. Özaltin is with the Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice, The World Bank, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Emre Özaltin
- J.M. Perkins is with the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; and the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. S.V. Subramanian is with the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; and the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. G. Davey Smith is with the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom. E. Özaltin is with the Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice, The World Bank, Washington, DC, USA.
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Tanner S, Leonard WR, Reyes-García V. The consequences of linear growth stunting: Influence on body composition among youth in the bolivian amazon. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 153:92-102. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2013] [Revised: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Susan Tanner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia; Athens GA 30602
| | | | - Victoria Reyes-García
- ICREA and Institut de Ciència I Technologia Ambientals; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; 08193 Cerdanyola del Valles Spain
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Sorokowski P, Sorokowska A, Danel DP. Why pigs are important in Papua? Wealth, height and reproductive success among the Yali tribe of West Papua. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2013; 11:382-390. [PMID: 22445059 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2012.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2011] [Revised: 02/25/2012] [Accepted: 02/28/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have investigated how different variables influence the reproductive success (RS) in the populations of natural birth control. Here, we tested hypotheses about positive relationship between wealth, height and several measures of RS in an indigenous, traditional society from West Papua. The study was conducted among the Yali tribe in a few small, isolated mountain villages. In this tribe, a man's wealth is measured by the number of pigs he possesses. We found that wealth was related to fertility and number of living children, but not to child mortality in both men and women. Additionally, child mortality increased with the number of children in a family. Finally, we did not observe any relationship between height and reproductive success measures or wealth. We provide several possible explanations of our results and also put forward hypothetical background for further studies of indigenous populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Sorokowski
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, ul. Dawida 1, Wroclaw, Poland.
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8
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Zeng W, Undurraga EA, Nyberg C, Eisenberg DTA, Parida S, Zycherman A, Magvanjav O, Reyes-García V, Tanner S, Godoy R. Sibling composition during childhood and adult blood pressure among native Amazonians in Bolivia. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2013; 11:391-400. [PMID: 23021349 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2012.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2011] [Revised: 08/18/2012] [Accepted: 08/30/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Sibling configuration, including birth order, or the number, age, and sex of siblings is associated with parental resource allocation between children and is thus associated with a person's well-being. Little is known about the association between specific types of siblings and adult health outcomes. Here we test several hypotheses about sibling composition (number of older brothers, older sisters, younger sisters, younger brothers) and adult blood pressure in a foraging-farming society of native Amazonians in Bolivia (Tsimane'). We collected data in 2007 from 374 adults (16-60years of age) from 196 households in 13 villages. Household random-effects multiple regressions were run using systolic (SBP) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) as outcomes; covariates included the four sibling categories and control variables (e.g., sex, age, education, body mass index [BMI]). Mean SBP and DBP were 114 (SD=14) and 66 (SD=11)mmHg. The prevalence of hypertension was 5.08%. Having an additional younger brother bore a small (3.3-5.9%) positive association with both SBP and DBP, with the effect weakening as people aged. Having an additional younger sister was associated with a small (3.8%) increase in SBP among women, with the magnitude shrinking as people aged. In a large family, the number of younger brothers may exert an impact on an individual's blood pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Zeng
- Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA.
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Hodges-Simeon CR, Gurven M, Cárdenas RA, Gaulin SJC. Voice change as a new measure of male pubertal timing: A study among Bolivian adolescents. Ann Hum Biol 2013; 40:209-19. [DOI: 10.3109/03014460.2012.759622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Nyberg CH, Leonard WR, Tanner S, Mcdade T, Huanca T, Godoy RA. Diurnal cortisol rhythms and child growth: Exploring the life history consequences of HPA activation among the Tsimane'. Am J Hum Biol 2012; 24:730-8. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2011] [Revised: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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Sorokowski P, Butovskaya ML. Height preferences in humans may not be universal: evidence from the Datoga people of Tanzania. Body Image 2012; 9:510-6. [PMID: 22871368 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2012.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2011] [Revised: 07/05/2012] [Accepted: 07/09/2012] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Many studies in Western societies have shown that women prefer relatively taller men as potential partners, whereas men prefer women who are slightly shorter than themselves. Here, we discuss possible limitations of previous results within the context of the stimuli used (i.e., differences in the perceived body size of female silhouettes). Our results show that, at least in a Polish sample (N=231), modified stimuli did not essentially change the observed male-taller preferences. In contrast, we report height preferences in a traditional ethnic group, the Datoga people from Tanzania (N=107), in which men and women preferred extreme sexual dimorphism in stature (SDS) sets (i.e., men and women chose women much taller or much shorter than themselves). Thus, our data do not accord with the suggestion of a universal preference for taller men, but rather suggests that height preferences may be influenced by cultural, environmental, and ecological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sorokowski
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Dawida, 1, 50-527 Wroclaw, Poland.
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12
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Undurraga EA, Zebrowitz L, Eisenberg DTA, Reyes-García V, Godoy RA. The perceived benefits of height: strength, dominance, social concern, and knowledge among Bolivian native Amazonians. PLoS One 2012; 7:e35391. [PMID: 22574118 PMCID: PMC3344832 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2011] [Accepted: 03/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Research in industrial countries suggests that, with no other knowledge about a person, positive traits are attributed to taller people and correspondingly, that taller people have slightly better socioeconomic status (SES). However, research in some non-industrialized contexts has shown no correlation or even negative correlations between height and socioeconomic outcomes. It remains unclear whether positive traits remain attributed to taller people in such contexts. To address this question, here we report the results of a study in a foraging-farming society of native Amazonians in Bolivia (Tsimane')--a group in which we have previously shown little association between height and socioeconomic outcomes. We showed 24 photographs of pairs of Tsimane' women, men, boys, and girls to 40 women and 40 men >16 years of age. We presented four behavioral scenarios to each participant and asked them to point to the person in the photograph with greater strength, dominance, social concern, or knowledge. The pairs in the photographs were of the same sex and age, but one person was shorter. Tsimane' women and men attributed greater strength, dominance, and knowledge to taller girls and boys, but they did not attribute most positive traits to taller adults, except for strength, and more social concern only when women assessed other women in the photographs. These results raise a puzzle: why would Tsimane' attribute positive traits to tall children, but not tall adults? We propose three potential explanations: adults' expectations about the more market integrated society in which their children will grow up, height as a signal of good child health, and children's greater variation in the traits assessed corresponding to maturational stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo A Undurraga
- Heller School for Social Policy, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America.
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Nyberg CH. Diurnal cortisol rhythms in Tsimane' Amazonian foragers: new insights into ecological HPA axis research. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2012; 37:178-90. [PMID: 21719201 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2010] [Revised: 05/12/2011] [Accepted: 06/01/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Although a growing body of research has documented important pathways by which the HPA axis mediates the interface between the psychosocial world and individual health, there is a paucity of data from nonwestern populations, particularly from those populations with distinct nutritional and infectious disease ecologies. The specific objectives of this study are: (1) to document variation in diurnal cortisol rhythms among the Tsimane', a remote population in the Bolivian Amazon, (2) to explore this variation by age and by gender, and (3) to compare diurnal rhythms from this study to other population based studies of cortisol conducted in industrialized nations. Salivary cortisol samples were collected twice daily, immediately upon waking and before bed, for three consecutive days from 303 participants (age 1.6-82 years, 1564 samples) in conjunction with the Tsimane' Amazonian Panel Study (TAPS). Cortisol rhythms showed strong age effects across the developmental span, with basal levels and slopes increasing into adulthood, although individuals older than 60 years demonstrated a precipitous flattening of the diurnal slope. Cortisol profiles were elevated in adult females compared to their age-matched male counterparts, and diurnal slopes, as well as mean cortisol concentrations among the Tsimane' were the lowest reported in any population based study of HPA axis function. Although the within-population variation in cortisol profiles was consistent with the established correlates of time of day, age, and sex, the between-population comparisons revealed dramatically lower levels of HPA activity among the Tsimane'. This study provides a benchmark against which to reference cortisol levels from industrialized populations, and expands the range of documented variation in HPA axis function in a nonwestern context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen H Nyberg
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Department of Anthropology, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, USA.
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Abstract
AIM Humans evolved to withstand harsh environments by adaptively decreasing their body size. Thus, adaptation to a hostile environment defers the infancy-childhood transition age (ICT), culminating in short stature. In natural-fertility human societies, this transition is associated with weaning from breastfeeding and the mother's new pregnancy. We therefore used the interbirth interval (IBI) as a surrogate for the ICT. METHODS We hypothesized that long IBI will be associated with smaller body size. The sample used is 22 subsistence-based societies of foragers, horticulturalists and pastorals from Africa, South America, Australia and Southeast Asia. RESULTS The IBI correlated negatively with the average adult bodyweight but not height. After correction for 'pubertal spurt takeoff' and 'weight at age 5', the IBI explains 81% of 'average adult weight' variability. CONCLUSIONS This inter-population study confirms that body weight is adaptively smaller in hostile environments and suggests that the selected trait for this adaptation is the ICT age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aneta Gawlik
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
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