1
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Rosenbaum S, Malani A, Lea AJ, Tung J, Alberts SC, Archie EA. Testing frameworks for early life effects: the developmental constraints and adaptive response hypotheses do not explain key fertility outcomes in wild female baboons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.23.590627. [PMID: 38712305 PMCID: PMC11071398 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.23.590627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
In evolutionary ecology, two classes of explanations are frequently invoked to explain "early life effects" on adult outcomes. Developmental constraints (DC) explanations contend that costs of early adversity arise from limitations adversity places on optimal development. Adaptive response (AR) hypotheses propose that later life outcomes will be worse when early and adult environments are poorly "matched." Here, we use recently proposed mathematical definitions for these hypotheses and a quadratic-regression based approach to test the long-term consequences of variation in developmental environments on fertility in wild baboons. We evaluate whether low rainfall and/or dominance rank during development predict three female fertility measures in adulthood, and whether any observed relationships are consistent with DC and/or AR. Neither rainfall during development nor the difference between rainfall in development and adulthood predicted any fertility measures. Females who were low-ranking during development had an elevated risk of losing infants later in life, and greater change in rank between development and adulthood predicted greater risk of infant loss. However, both effects were statistically marginal and consistent with alternative explanations, including adult environmental quality effects. Consequently, our data do not provide compelling support for either of these common explanations for the evolution of early life effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anup Malani
- University of Chicago Law School & National Bureau of Economic Research
| | - Amanda J Lea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary, Anthropology; Departments of Evolutionary Anthropology & Biology, Duke University
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Departments of Evolutionary Anthropology & Biology, Duke University
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2
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Farkas BC, Baptista A, Speranza M, Wyart V, Jacquet PO. Specifying the timescale of early life unpredictability helps explain the development of internalising and externalising behaviours. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3563. [PMID: 38347055 PMCID: PMC10861493 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54093-x] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Early life unpredictability is associated with both physical and mental health outcomes throughout the life course. Here, we classified adverse experiences based on the timescale on which they are likely to introduce variability in children's environments: variations unfolding over short time scales (e.g., hours, days, weeks) and labelled Stochasticity vs variations unfolding over longer time scales (e.g., months, years) and labelled Volatility and explored how they contribute to the development of problem behaviours. Results indicate that externalising behaviours at age 9 and 15 and internalising behaviours at age 15 were better accounted for by models that separated Stochasticity and Volatility measured at ages 3 to 5. Both externalising and internalising behaviours were specifically associated with Volatility, with larger effects for externalising behaviours. These findings are interpreted in light of evolutionary-developmental models of psychopathology and reinforcement learning models of learning under uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bence Csaba Farkas
- Institut du Psychotraumatisme de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Conseil Départemental Yvelines et Hauts-de-Seine et Centre Hospitalier des Versailles, 78000, Versailles, France.
- UVSQ, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000, Versailles, France.
- LNC2, Département d'études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Axel Baptista
- UVSQ, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000, Versailles, France
- Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, Le Chesnay, France
| | - Mario Speranza
- Institut du Psychotraumatisme de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Conseil Départemental Yvelines et Hauts-de-Seine et Centre Hospitalier des Versailles, 78000, Versailles, France
- UVSQ, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000, Versailles, France
- Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, Le Chesnay, France
| | - Valentin Wyart
- Institut du Psychotraumatisme de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Conseil Départemental Yvelines et Hauts-de-Seine et Centre Hospitalier des Versailles, 78000, Versailles, France
- LNC2, Département d'études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Olivier Jacquet
- Institut du Psychotraumatisme de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Conseil Départemental Yvelines et Hauts-de-Seine et Centre Hospitalier des Versailles, 78000, Versailles, France
- UVSQ, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000, Versailles, France
- LNC2, Département d'études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
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3
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Frankenhuis WE, Gopnik A. Early adversity and the development of explore-exploit tradeoffs. Trends Cogn Sci 2023:S1364-6613(23)00091-8. [PMID: 37142526 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Childhood adversity can have wide-ranging and long-lasting effects on later life. But what are the mechanisms that are responsible for these effects? This article brings together the cognitive science literature on explore-exploit tradeoffs, the empirical literature on early adversity, and the literature in evolutionary biology on 'life history' to explain how early experience influences later life. We propose one potential mechanism: early experiences influence 'hyperparameters' that determine the balance between exploration and exploitation. Adversity might accelerate a shift from exploration to exploitation, with broad and enduring effects on the adult brain and mind. These effects may be produced by life-history adaptations that use early experience to tailor development and learning to the likely future states of an organism and its environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem E Frankenhuis
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Alison Gopnik
- Department of Psychology and Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research, University of California at Berkeley, CA, USA
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4
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Ehlman SM, Scherer U, Bierbach D, Francisco FA, Laskowski KL, Krause J, Wolf M. Leveraging big data to uncover the eco-evolutionary factors shaping behavioural development. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222115. [PMID: 36722081 PMCID: PMC9890127 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mapping the eco-evolutionary factors shaping the development of animals' behavioural phenotypes remains a great challenge. Recent advances in 'big behavioural data' research-the high-resolution tracking of individuals and the harnessing of that data with powerful analytical tools-have vastly improved our ability to measure and model developing behavioural phenotypes. Applied to the study of behavioural ontogeny, the unfolding of whole behavioural repertoires can be mapped in unprecedented detail with relative ease. This overcomes long-standing experimental bottlenecks and heralds a surge of studies that more finely define and explore behavioural-experiential trajectories across development. In this review, we first provide a brief guide to state-of-the-art approaches that allow the collection and analysis of high-resolution behavioural data across development. We then outline how such approaches can be used to address key issues regarding the ecological and evolutionary factors shaping behavioural development: developmental feedbacks between behaviour and underlying states, early life effects and behavioural transitions, and information integration across development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. Ehlman
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Scherer
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Bierbach
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Fritz A. Francisco
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kate L. Laskowski
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California – Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jens Krause
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Max Wolf
- SCIoI Excellence Cluster, 10587 Berlin, Germany,Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
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5
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Stamps JA, Luttbeg B. Sensitive Period Diversity: Insights From Evolutionary Models. THE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1086/722637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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6
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Sanghvi K, Iglesias‐Carrasco M, Zajitschek F, Kruuk LEB, Head ML. Effects of developmental and adult environments on ageing. Evolution 2022; 76:1868-1882. [PMID: 35819127 PMCID: PMC9543291 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Developmental and adult environments can interact in complex ways to influence the fitness of individuals. Most studies investigating effects of the environment on fitness focus on environments experienced and traits expressed at a single point in an organism's life. However, environments vary with time, so the effects of the environments that organisms experience at different ages may interact to affect how traits change throughout life. Here, we test whether thermal stress experienced during development leads individuals to cope better with thermal stress as adults. We manipulated temperature during both development and adulthood and measured a range of life-history traits, including senescence, in male and female seed beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus). We found that thermal stress during development reduced adult reproductive performance of females. In contrast, life span and age-dependent mortality were affected more by adult than developmental environments, with high adult temperatures decreasing longevity and increasing age-dependent mortality. Aside from an interaction between developmental and adult environments to affect age-dependent changes in male weight, we did not find any evidence of a beneficial acclimation response to developmental thermal stress. Overall, our results show that effects of developmental and adult environments can be both sex and trait specific, and that a full understanding of how environments interact to affect fitness and ageing requires the integrated study of conditions experienced during different stages of ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krish Sanghvi
- Reserach School of BiologyAustralian National UniversityCanberraACT2601Australia
| | | | - Felix Zajitschek
- School of Biology Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNSW2052Australia
| | - Loeske E. B. Kruuk
- Reserach School of BiologyAustralian National UniversityCanberraACT2601Australia
| | - Megan L. Head
- Reserach School of BiologyAustralian National UniversityCanberraACT2601Australia
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7
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Taborsky B, Kuijper B, Fawcett TW, English S, Leimar O, McNamara JM, Ruuskanen S. An evolutionary perspective on stress responses, damage and repair. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105180. [PMID: 35569424 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Variation in stress responses has been investigated in relation to environmental factors, species ecology, life history and fitness. Moreover, mechanistic studies have unravelled molecular mechanisms of how acute and chronic stress responses cause physiological impacts ('damage'), and how this damage can be repaired. However, it is not yet understood how the fitness effects of damage and repair influence stress response evolution. Here we study the evolution of hormone levels as a function of stressor occurrence, damage and the efficiency of repair. We hypothesise that the evolution of stress responses depends on the fitness consequences of damage and the ability to repair that damage. To obtain some general insights, we model a simplified scenario in which an organism repeatedly encounters a stressor with a certain frequency and predictability (temporal autocorrelation). The organism can defend itself by mounting a stress response (elevated hormone level), but this causes damage that takes time to repair. We identify optimal strategies in this scenario and then investigate how those strategies respond to acute and chronic exposures to the stressor. We find that for higher repair rates, baseline and peak hormone levels are higher. This typically means that the organism experiences higher levels of damage, which it can afford because that damage is repaired more quickly, but for very high repair rates the damage does not build up. With increasing predictability of the stressor, stress responses are sustained for longer, because the animal expects the stressor to persist, and thus damage builds up. This can result in very high (and potentially fatal) levels of damage when organisms are exposed to chronic stressors to which they are not evolutionarily adapted. Overall, our results highlight that at least three factors need to be considered jointly to advance our understanding of how stress physiology has evolved: (i) temporal dynamics of stressor occurrence; (ii) relative mortality risk imposed by the stressor itself versus damage caused by the stress response; and (iii) the efficiency of repair mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology Division, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Bram Kuijper
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, UK; Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Tim W Fawcett
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB), University of Exeter, UK
| | - Sinead English
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, UK
| | - Olof Leimar
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | | | - Suvi Ruuskanen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
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8
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Lew-Levy S, Reckin R, Kissler SM, Pretelli I, Boyette AH, Crittenden AN, Hagen RV, Haas R, Kramer KL, Koster J, O’Brien MJ, Sonoda K, Surovell TA, Stieglitz J, Tucker B, Lavi N, Ellis-Davies K, Davis HE. Socioecology shapes child and adolescent time allocation in twelve hunter-gatherer and mixed-subsistence forager societies. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8054. [PMID: 35577896 PMCID: PMC9110336 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12217-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A key issue distinguishing prominent evolutionary models of human life history is whether prolonged childhood evolved to facilitate learning in a skill- and strength-intensive foraging niche requiring high levels of cooperation. Considering the diversity of environments humans inhabit, children’s activities should also reflect local social and ecological opportunities and constraints. To better understand our species’ developmental plasticity, the present paper compiled a time allocation dataset for children and adolescents from twelve hunter-gatherer and mixed-subsistence forager societies (n = 690; 3–18 years; 52% girls). We investigated how environmental factors, local ecological risk, and men and women’s relative energetic contributions were associated with cross-cultural variation in child and adolescent time allocation to childcare, food production, domestic work, and play. Annual precipitation, annual mean temperature, and net primary productivity were not strongly associated with child and adolescent activity budgets. Increased risk of encounters with dangerous animals and dehydration negatively predicted time allocation to childcare and domestic work, but not food production. Gender differences in child and adolescent activity budgets were stronger in societies where men made greater direct contributions to food production than women. We interpret these findings as suggesting that children and their caregivers adjust their activities to facilitate the early acquisition of knowledge which helps children safely cooperate with adults in a range of social and ecological environments. These findings compel us to consider how childhood may have also evolved to facilitate flexible participation in productive activities in early life.
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9
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Ellis BJ, Sheridan MA, Belsky J, McLaughlin KA. Why and how does early adversity influence development? Toward an integrated model of dimensions of environmental experience. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:447-471. [PMID: 35285791 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Two extant frameworks - the harshness-unpredictability model and the threat-deprivation model - attempt to explain which dimensions of adversity have distinct influences on development. These models address, respectively, why, based on a history of natural selection, development operates the way it does across a range of environmental contexts, and how the neural mechanisms that underlie plasticity and learning in response to environmental experiences influence brain development. Building on these frameworks, we advance an integrated model of dimensions of environmental experience, focusing on threat-based forms of harshness, deprivation-based forms of harshness, and environmental unpredictability. This integrated model makes clear that the why and the how of development are inextricable and, together, essential to understanding which dimensions of the environment matter. Core integrative concepts include the directedness of learning, multiple levels of developmental adaptation to the environment, and tradeoffs between adaptive and maladaptive developmental responses to adversity. The integrated model proposes that proximal and distal cues to threat-based and deprivation-based forms of harshness, as well as unpredictability in those cues, calibrate development to both immediate rearing environments and broader ecological contexts, current and future. We highlight actionable directions for research needed to investigate the integrated model and advance understanding of dimensions of environmental experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce J Ellis
- Departments of Psychology and Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Margaret A Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jay Belsky
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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10
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Frankenhuis WE, Amir D. What is the expected human childhood? Insights from evolutionary anthropology. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:473-497. [PMID: 34924077 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In psychological research, there are often assumptions about the conditions that children expect to encounter during their development. These assumptions shape prevailing ideas about the experiences that children are capable of adjusting to, and whether their responses are viewed as impairments or adaptations. Specifically, the expected childhood is often depicted as nurturing and safe, and characterized by high levels of caregiver investment. Here, we synthesize evidence from history, anthropology, and primatology to challenge this view. We integrate the findings of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and cross-cultural investigations on three forms of threat (infanticide, violent conflict, and predation) and three forms of deprivation (social, cognitive, and nutritional) that children have faced throughout human evolution. Our results show that mean levels of threat and deprivation were higher than is typical in industrialized societies, and that our species has experienced much variation in the levels of these adversities across space and time. These conditions likely favored a high degree of phenotypic plasticity, or the ability to tailor development to different conditions. This body of evidence has implications for recognizing developmental adaptations to adversity, for cultural variation in responses to adverse experiences, and for definitions of adversity and deprivation as deviation from the expected human childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem E Frankenhuis
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, Germany
| | - Dorsa Amir
- Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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11
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Liu S, Fisher PA. Early experience unpredictability in child development as a model for understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: A translational neuroscience perspective. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 54:101091. [PMID: 35217299 PMCID: PMC8860470 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Extensive evidence links adverse experiences during childhood to a wide range of negative consequences in biological, socioemotional, and cognitive development. Unpredictability is a core element underlying most forms of early adversity; it has been a focus of developmental research for many years and has been receiving increasing attention recently. In this article, we propose a conceptual model to describe how unpredictable and adverse early experiences affect children's neurobiological, behavioral, and psychological development in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We first highlight the critical role of unpredictability in child development by reviewing existing conceptual models of early adversity as they relate to subsequent development across the lifespan. Then, we employ a translational neuroscience framework to summarize the current animal- and human-based evidence on the neurobiological alterations induced by early experience unpredictability. We further argue that the COVID-19 pandemic serves as a global "natural experiment" that provides rare insight to the investigation of the negative developmental consequences of widespread, clustered, and unpredictable adverse events among children. We discuss how the pandemic helps advance the science of unpredictable early adverse experiences. As unpredictability research continues to grow, we highlight several directions for future studies and implications for policymaking and intervention practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihong Liu
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States.
| | - Philip A Fisher
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
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12
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Walasek N, Frankenhuis WE, Panchanathan K. Sensitive periods, but not critical periods, evolve in a fluctuating environment: a model of incremental development. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212623. [PMID: 35168396 PMCID: PMC8848242 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitive periods, during which the impact of experience on phenotype is larger than in other periods, exist in all classes of organisms, yet little is known about their evolution. Recent mathematical modelling has explored the conditions in which natural selection favours sensitive periods. These models have assumed that the environment is stable across ontogeny or that organisms can develop phenotypes instantaneously at any age. Neither assumption generally holds. Here, we present a model in which organisms gradually tailor their phenotypes to an environment that fluctuates across ontogeny, while receiving cost-free, imperfect cues to the current environmental state. We vary the rate of environmental change, the reliability of cues and the duration of adulthood relative to ontogeny. We use stochastic dynamic programming to compute optimal policies. From these policies, we simulate levels of plasticity across ontogeny and obtain mature phenotypes. Our results show that sensitive periods can occur at the onset, midway through and even towards the end of ontogeny. In contrast with models assuming stable environments, organisms always retain residual plasticity late in ontogeny. We conclude that critical periods, after which plasticity is zero, are unlikely to be favoured in environments that fluctuate across ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Walasek
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Willem E Frankenhuis
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, 79100 Freiburg, Germany
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13
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Helle S, Tanskanen AO, Coall DA, Danielsbacka M. Matrilateral bias of grandparental investment in grandchildren persists despite the grandchildren's adverse early life experiences. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212574. [PMID: 35168400 PMCID: PMC8848246 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary theory predicts a downward flow of investment from older to younger generations, representing individual efforts to maximize inclusive fitness. Maternal grandparents and maternal grandmothers (MGMs) in particular consistently show the highest levels of investment (e.g. time, care and resources) in their grandchildren. Grandparental investment overall may depend on social and environmental conditions that affect the development of children and modify the benefits and costs of investment. Currently, the responses of grandparents to adverse early life experiences (AELEs) in their grandchildren are assessed from a perspective of increased investment to meet increased need. Here, we formulate an alternative prediction that AELEs may be associated with reduced grandparental investment, as they can reduce the reproductive value of the grandchildren. Moreover, we predicted that paternal grandparents react more strongly to AELEs compared to maternal grandparents because maternal kin should expend extra effort to invest in their descendants. Using population-based survey data for English and Welsh adolescents, we found evidence that the investment of maternal grandparents (MGMs in particular) in their grandchildren was unrelated to the grandchildren's AELEs, while paternal grandparents invested less in grandchildren who had experienced more AELEs. These findings seemed robust to measurement errors in AELEs and confounding due to omitted shared causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuli Helle
- Department of Social Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Turku, Assistentinkatu 7, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Antti O Tanskanen
- Department of Social Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Turku, Assistentinkatu 7, 20014 Turku, Finland.,Population Research Institute, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
| | - David A Coall
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup WA 6027, Australia
| | - Mirkka Danielsbacka
- Department of Social Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Turku, Assistentinkatu 7, 20014 Turku, Finland.,Population Research Institute, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
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14
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Warlaumont AS, Sobowale K, Fausey CM. Daylong Mobile Audio Recordings Reveal Multitimescale Dynamics in Infants' Vocal Productions and Auditory Experiences. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2022; 31:12-19. [PMID: 35707791 PMCID: PMC9197087 DOI: 10.1177/09637214211058166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
The sounds of human infancy-baby babbling, adult talking, lullaby singing, and more-fluctuate over time. Infant-friendly wearable audio recorders can now capture very large quantities of these sounds throughout infants' everyday lives at home. Here, we review recent discoveries about how infants' soundscapes are organized over the course of a day based on analyses designed to detect patterns at multiple timescales. Analyses of infants' day-long audio have revealed that everyday vocalizations are clustered hierarchically in time, vocal explorations are consistent with foraging dynamics, and musical tunes are distributed such that some are much more available than others. This approach focusing on the multi-scale distributions of sounds heard and produced by infants provides new, fundamental insights on human communication development from a complex systems perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kunmi Sobowale
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
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15
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Mendoza JK, Fausey CM. Quantifying Everyday Ecologies: Principles for Manual Annotation of Many Hours of Infants' Lives. Front Psychol 2021; 12:710636. [PMID: 34552533 PMCID: PMC8450442 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.710636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Everyday experiences are the experiences available to shape developmental change. Remarkable advances in devices used to record infants' and toddlers' everyday experiences, as well as in repositories to aggregate and share such recordings across teams of theorists, have yielded a potential gold mine of insights to spur next-generation theories of experience-dependent change. Making full use of these advances, however, currently requires manual annotation. Manually annotating many hours of everyday life is a dedicated pursuit requiring significant time and resources, and in many domains is an endeavor currently lacking foundational facts to guide potentially consequential implementation decisions. These realities make manual annotation a frequent barrier to discoveries, as theorists instead opt for narrower scoped activities. Here, we provide theorists with a framework for manually annotating many hours of everyday life designed to reduce both theoretical and practical overwhelm. We share insights based on our team's recent adventures in the previously uncharted territory of everyday music. We identify principles, and share implementation examples and tools, to help theorists achieve scalable solutions to challenges that are especially fierce when annotating extended timescales. These principles for quantifying everyday ecologies will help theorists collectively maximize return on investment in databases of everyday recordings and will enable a broad community of scholars—across institutions, skillsets, experiences, and working environments—to make discoveries about the experiences upon which development may depend.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Mendoza
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
| | - Caitlin M Fausey
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
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Ebensperger LA, Gómez C, Aspillaga-Cid A, León C, Ramírez-Estrada J, Correa LA, Vera DC, Abades S, Hayes LD. Socially unstable conditions experienced during development prime female Octodon degus to shape the phenotype of their own offspring. Horm Behav 2021; 134:105011. [PMID: 34130042 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Because residents and immigrants from group living species may experience fitness costs associated with permanent changes in group membership, we examined the hypothesis that females experiencing socially unstable or socially stable conditions during development compensate these costs by shaping the phenotype of their own offspring differently. Groups of adult females experiencing either socially stable or unstable conditions in the early social environment were assigned to either socially stable or unstable conditions in the social environment as adults. We quantified affiliative and agonistic interactions among the females during pregnancy and lactation of the focal female, maternal and allomaternal care, hypothalamic-anterior pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) acute stress response, and early offspring growth. Social instability during breeding enhanced agonistic interactions among adult females, and offspring that experienced socially unstable conditions exhibited enhanced offspring care, regardless of adult environments. Neither social behavior, offspring care, acute stress physiology, nor early growth was influenced by early or adult social stability conditions. These findings imply that socially unstable conditions prime developing females to shape the phenotype of their offspring to prevent negative effects of socially unstable environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Ebensperger
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Celeste Gómez
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Antonia Aspillaga-Cid
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cecilia León
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Ramírez-Estrada
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Loreto A Correa
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Pirámide 5750, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela C Vera
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastian Abades
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology & Environment, Facultad de Estudios Interdisciplinarios, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Pirámide 5750, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
| | - Loren D Hayes
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA
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Stamps JA, Bell AM. Combining information from parental and personal experiences: Simple processes generate diverse outcomes. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250540. [PMID: 34255774 PMCID: PMC8277055 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiences of parents and/or offspring are often assumed to affect the development of trait values in offspring because they provide information about the external environment. However, it is currently unclear how information from parental and offspring experiences might jointly affect the information-states that provide the foundation for the offspring phenotypes observed in empirical studies of developmental plasticity in response to environmental cues. We analyze Bayesian models designed to mimic fully-factorial experimental studies of trans and within- generational plasticity (TWP), in which parents, offspring, both or neither are exposed to cues from predators, to determine how different durations of cue exposure for parents and offspring, the devaluation of information from parents or the degradation of information from parents would affect offspring estimates of environmental states related to risk of predation at the end of such experiments. We show that the effects of different cue durations, the devaluation of information from parents, and the degradation of information from parents on offspring estimates are all expected to vary as a function of interactions with two other key components of information-based models of TWP: parental priors and the relative cue reliability in the different treatments. Our results suggest empiricists should expect to observe considerable variation in the patterns observed in experimental studies of TWP based on simple principles of information-updating, without needing to invoke additional assumptions about costs, tradeoffs, development constraints, the fitness consequences of different trait values, or other factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy A. Stamps
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Alison M. Bell
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
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Mendoza JK, Fausey CM. Everyday music in infancy. Dev Sci 2021; 24:e13122. [PMID: 34170059 PMCID: PMC8596421 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Infants enculturate to their soundscape over the first year of life, yet theories of how they do so rarely make contact with details about the sounds available in everyday life. Here, we report on properties of a ubiquitous early ecology in which foundational skills get built: music. We captured daylong recordings from 35 infants ages 6–12 months at home and fully double‐coded 467 h of everyday sounds for music and its features, tunes, and voices. Analyses of this first‐of‐its‐kind corpus revealed two distributional properties of infants’ everyday musical ecology. First, infants encountered vocal music in over half, and instrumental in over three‐quarters, of everyday music. Live sources generated one‐third, and recorded sources three‐quarters, of everyday music. Second, infants did not encounter each individual tune and voice in their day equally often. Instead, the most available identity cumulated to many more seconds of the day than would be expected under a uniform distribution. These properties of everyday music in human infancy are different from what is discoverable in environments highly constrained by context (e.g., laboratories) and time (e.g., minutes rather than hours). Together with recent insights about the everyday motor, language, and visual ecologies of infancy, these findings reinforce an emerging priority to build theories of development that address the opportunities and challenges of real input encountered by real learners.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caitlin M Fausey
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
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Socioecological conditions predict degu social instability and provide limited cues to forecast subsequent breeding conditions. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03017-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Luoto S, Krama T, Rubika A, Borráz-León JI, Trakimas G, Elferts D, Skrinda I, Krams R, Moore FR, Birbele E, Kaminska I, Contreras-Garduño J, Rantala MJ, Krams IA. Socioeconomic position, immune function, and its physiological markers. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 127:105202. [PMID: 33756285 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of costly traits such as immune function and secondary sexual traits is constrained by resource availability. The quality of developmental conditions and the availability of resources in ontogeny may therefore influence immune system functions and other biological traits. We analyzed causal pathways between family socioeconomic position, strength of immune response, and five physiological biomarkers in young Latvian men (n = 93) using structural equation modeling. Men from wealthier families had higher testosterone levels (rs = 0.280), stronger immune response (rs = 0.551), and higher facial attractiveness (rs = 0.300). There were weak, non-significant correlations between family income, body fat percentage (rs = -0.147), and fluctuating asymmetry (rs = -0.159). Testosterone partially (33.8%) mediated the effect of family income on facial masculinity. Testosterone (positively) and adiposity (negatively) partially (4%) mediated the relationship between family income and immune function. Higher facial masculinity, higher facial symmetry, and lower adiposity were reliable and independent cues of better immune function (R2 = 0.238) in a larger sample of young Latvian men (N = 146). Resource availability in ontogeny has an important role for the development of immune function and physical appearance, and it is a key parameter to be included in human eco-immunological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Severi Luoto
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tatjana Krama
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Chair of Plant Health, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia; Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Anna Rubika
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Javier I Borráz-León
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Ethology, National Institute of Psychiatry "Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Giedrius Trakimas
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Didzis Elferts
- Department of Botany and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, Latvia
| | | | - Ronalds Krams
- Chair of Plant Health, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia; Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Fhionna R Moore
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Elza Birbele
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, Latvia
| | - Irena Kaminska
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology & Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Indrikis A Krams
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia; Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, Latvia.
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Abstract
Explaining how animals respond to an increasingly urbanised world is a major challenge for evolutionary biologists. Urban environments often present animals with novel problems that differ from those encountered in their evolutionary past. To navigate these rapidly changing habitats successfully, animals may need to adjust their behaviour flexibly over relatively short timescales. These behavioural changes, in turn, may be facilitated by an ability to acquire, store and process information from the environment. The question of how cognitive abilities allow animals to avoid threats and exploit resources (or constrain their ability to do so) is attracting increasing research interest, with a growing number of studies investigating cognitive and behavioural differences between urban-dwelling animals and their non-urban counterparts. In this review we consider why such differences might arise, focusing on the informational challenges faced by animals living in urban environments, and how different cognitive abilities can assist in overcoming these challenges. We focus largely on birds, as avian taxa have been the subject of most research to date, but discuss work in other species where relevant. We also address the potential consequences of cognitive variation at the individual and species level. For instance, do urban environments select for, or influence the development of, particular cognitive abilities? Are individuals or species with particular cognitive phenotypes more likely to become established in urban habitats? How do other factors, such as social behaviour and individual personality, interact with cognition to influence behaviour in urban environments? The aim of this review is to synthesise current knowledge and identify key avenues for future research, in order to improve our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary consequences of urbanisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria E Lee
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
| | - Alex Thornton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
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English S, Barreaux AMG. The evolution of sensitive periods in development: insights from insects. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Amir D, McAuliffe K. Cross-cultural, developmental psychology: integrating approaches and key insights. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Klepsatel P, Knoblochová D, Girish TN, Dircksen H, Gáliková M. The influence of developmental diet on reproduction and metabolism in Drosophila. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:93. [PMID: 32727355 PMCID: PMC7392729 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01663-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The adaptive significance of phenotypic changes elicited by environmental conditions experienced early in life has long attracted attention in evolutionary biology. In this study, we used Drosophila melanogaster to test whether the developmental diet produces phenotypes better adapted to cope with similar nutritional conditions later in life. To discriminate among competing hypotheses on the underlying nature of developmental plasticity, we employed a full factorial design with several developmental and adult diets. Specifically, we examined the effects of early- and late-life diets (by varying their yeast and sugar contents) on reproductive fitness and on the amount of energy reserves (fat and glycogen) in two wild-caught populations. Results We found that individuals that had developed on either low-yeast or high-sugar diet showed decreased reproductive performance regardless of their adult nutritional environment. The lower reproductive fitness might be caused by smaller body size and reduced ovariole number. Overall, these results are consistent with the silver spoon concept, which posits that development in a suboptimal environment negatively affects fitness-associated traits. On the other hand, the higher amount of energy reserves (fat) in individuals that had developed in a suboptimal environment might represent either an adaptive response or a side-effect of compensatory feeding. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the observed differences in the adult physiology induced by early-life diet likely result from inevitable and general effects of nutrition on the development of reproductive and metabolic organs, rather than from adaptive mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Klepsatel
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Diana Knoblochová
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Department of Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Thirnahalli Nagaraj Girish
- Department of Biosciences, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam, 515134, India
| | - Heinrich Dircksen
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, S-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martina Gáliková
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Snell-Rood E, Snell-Rood C. The developmental support hypothesis: adaptive plasticity in neural development in response to cues of social support. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190491. [PMID: 32475336 PMCID: PMC7293157 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Across mammals, cues of developmental support, such as touching, licking or attentiveness, stimulate neural development, behavioural exploration and even overall body growth. Why should such fitness-related traits be so sensitive to developmental conditions? Here, we review what we term the 'developmental support hypothesis', a potential adaptive explanation of this plasticity. Neural development can be a costly process, in terms of time, energy and exposure. However, environmental variability may sometimes compromise parental care during this costly developmental period. We propose this environmental variation has led to the evolution of adaptive plasticity of neural and behavioural development in response to cues of developmental support, where neural development is stimulated in conditions that support associated costs. When parental care is compromised, offspring grow less and adopt a more resilient and stress-responsive strategy, improving their chances of survival in difficult conditions, similar to existing ideas on the adaptive value of early-life programming of stress. The developmental support hypothesis suggests new research directions, such as testing the adaptive value of reduced neural growth and metabolism in stressful conditions, and expanding the range of potential cues animals may attend to as indicators of developmental support. Considering evolutionary and ecologically appropriate cues of social support also has implications for promoting healthy neural development in humans. This article is part of the theme issue 'Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Snell-Rood
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, Gortner 140, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Claire Snell-Rood
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Rubika A, Luoto S, Krama T, Trakimas G, Rantala MJ, Moore FR, Skrinda I, Elferts D, Krams R, Contreras-Garduño J, Krams IA. Women's socioeconomic position in ontogeny is associated with improved immune function and lower stress, but not with height. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11517. [PMID: 32661326 PMCID: PMC7359344 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68217-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune function, height and resource accumulation comprise important life history traits in humans. Resource availability models arising from life history theory suggest that socioeconomic conditions influence immune function, growth and health status. In this study, we tested whether there are associations between family income during ontogeny, adult height, cortisol level and immune response in women. A hepatitis B vaccine was administered to 66 young Latvian women from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and blood samples were then collected to measure the level of antibodies that the women produced in response to the vaccination. Cortisol levels were measured from plasma samples pre- and post-vaccination. Women from wealthier families had lower cortisol levels, and women from the highest family income group had the highest levels of antibody titers against hepatitis B vaccine. No significant relationships were observed between cortisol level and immune function, nor between family income and height. The results show that income level during ontogeny is associated with the strength of immune response and with psychoneuroendocrine pathways underlying stress perception in early adulthood. The findings indicate that the quality of the developmental niche is associated with the condition-dependent expression of immune function and stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rubika
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
| | - Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
| | - Tatjana Krama
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 51010, Tartu, Estonia
- Chair of Plant Health, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
| | - Giedrius Trakimas
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
- Institute of Biosciences, Vilnius University, 10257, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
- Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Fhionna R Moore
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Ilona Skrinda
- Daugavpils Regional Hospital, Daugavpils, 5417, Latvia
| | - Didzis Elferts
- Department of Botany and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, 1004, Latvia
| | - Ronalds Krams
- Chair of Plant Health, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 58190, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Indrikis A Krams
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 51010, Tartu, Estonia.
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia.
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, 1004, Latvia.
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Rīga, 1067, Latvia.
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Carrera SC, Sen S, Heistermann M, Lu A, Beehner JC. Low rank and primiparity increase fecal glucocorticoid metabolites across gestation in wild geladas. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 293:113494. [PMID: 32333913 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Integrative behavioral ecology requires accurate and non-invasive measures of hormone mediators for the study of wild animal populations. Biologically sensitive assay systems for the measurement of hormones and their metabolites need to be validated for the species and sample medium (e.g. urine, feces, saliva) of interest. Where more than one assay is available for hormone (metabolite) measurement, antibody selection is useful in identifying the assay that tracks changes in an individuaĺs endocrine activity best, i.e., the most biologically sensitive assay. This is particularly important when measuring how glucocorticoids (GCs) respond to the subtle, additive effects of acute stressors during a predictable metabolic challenge, such as gestation. Here, we validate a group-specific enzyme immunoassay, measuring immunoreactive 11β-hydroxyetiocholanolone, for use in a wild primate, geladas (Theropithecus gelada). This group-specific assay produced values correlated with those from a previously validated double-antibody, corticosterone 125I radioimmunoassay. However, the results with the group-specific assay showed a stronger response to an ACTH challenge and identified greater variation in gelada immunoreactive fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (iGCMs) compared with the corticosterone assay, indicating a higher biological sensitivity for assessing adrenocortical activity. We then used the group-specific assay to: (1) determine the normative pattern of iGCM levels across gelada gestation, and (2) identify the ecological, social, and individual factors that influence GC output for pregnant females. Using a general additive mixed model, we found that higher iGCM levels were associated with low rank (compared to high rank) and first time mothers (compared to multiparous mothers). This study highlights the importance of assay selection and the efficacy of group-specific assays for hormonal research in non-invasively collected samples. Additionally, in geladas, our results identify some of the factors that increase GC output over and above the already-elevated GC concentrations associated with gestation. In the burgeoning field of maternal stress, these factors can be examined to identify the effects that GC elevations may have on offspring development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia C Carrera
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Sharmi Sen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Yuan L, Xiang V, Crandall D, Smith L. Learning the generative principles of a symbol system from limited examples. Cognition 2020; 200:104243. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Rojas-Ferrer I, Morand-Ferron J. The impact of learning opportunities on the development of learning and decision-making: an experiment with passerine birds. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190496. [PMID: 32475329 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental context has been shown to influence learning abilities later in life, namely through experiments with nutritional and/or environmental constraints (i.e. lack of enrichment). However, little is known about the extent to which opportunities for learning affect the development of animal cognition, even though such opportunities are known to influence human cognitive development. We exposed young zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata) (n = 26) to one of three experimental conditions, i.e. an environment where (i) colour cues reliably predicted the presence of food (associative learning), (ii) a combination of two-colour cues reliably predicted the presence of food (conditional learning), or (iii) colour cues were non-informative (control). After conducting two different discrimination tasks, our results showed that experience with predictive cues can cause increased choice accuracy and decision-making speed. Our first learning task showed that individuals in the associative learning treatment outperformed the control treatment, while task 2 showed that individuals in the conditional learning treatment had shorter latencies when making choices compared with the control treatment. We found no support for a speed-accuracy trade-off. This dataset provides a rare longitudinal and experimental examination of the effect of predictive versus non-predictive cues during development on the cognition of adult animals. This article is part of the theme issue 'Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Rojas-Ferrer
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Julie Morand-Ferron
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
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Gopnik A, Frankenhuis WE, Tomasello M. Introduction to special issue: 'Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals'. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190489. [PMID: 32475324 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0489] [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: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
This special issue focuses on the relationship between life history and learning, especially during human evolution. 'Life history' refers to the developmental programme of an organism, including its period of immaturity, reproductive rate and timing, caregiving investment and longevity. Across many species an extended childhood and high caregiving investment appear to be correlated with particular kinds of plasticity and learning. Human life history is particularly distinctive; humans evolved an exceptionally long childhood and old age, and an unusually high level of caregiving investment, at the same time that they evolved distinctive capacities for cognition and culture. The contributors explore the relations between life history, plasticity and learning across a wide range of methods and populations, including theoretical and empirical work in biology, anthropology and developmental psychology. This article is part of the theme issue 'Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Gopnik
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, 2121 Berkeley Way, Room 3302, Berkeley, CA 94720-1650, USA
| | - Willem E Frankenhuis
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Montessorilaan 3, PO Box 9104, Nijmegen 6500 HE, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Tomasello
- Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0187, USA.,Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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Nettle D, Frankenhuis WE. Life-history theory in psychology and evolutionary biology: one research programme or two? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190490. [PMID: 32475337 PMCID: PMC7293149 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The term ‘life-history theory’ (LHT) is increasingly often invoked in psychology, as a framework for integrating understanding of psychological traits into a broader evolutionary context. Although LHT as presented in psychology papers (LHT-P) is typically described as a straightforward extension of the theoretical principles from evolutionary biology that bear the same name (LHT-E), the two bodies of work are not well integrated. Here, through a close reading of recent papers, we argue that LHT-E and LHT-P are different research programmes in the Lakatosian sense. The core of LHT-E is built around ultimate evolutionary explanation, via explicit mathematical modelling, of how selection can drive divergent evolution of populations or species living under different demographies or ecologies. The core of LHT-P concerns measurement of covariation, across individuals, of multiple psychological traits; the proximate goals these serve; and their relation to childhood experience. Some of the links between LHT-E and LHT-P are false friends. For example, elements that are marginal in LHT-E are core commitments of LHT-P, and where explanatory principles are transferred from one to the other, nuance can be lost in transmission. The methodological rules for what grounds a prediction in theory are different in the two cases. Though there are major differences between LHT-E and LHT-P at present, there is much potential for greater integration in the future, through both theoretical modelling and further empirical research. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Nettle
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Willem E Frankenhuis
- Behavioural Sciences Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6500 HE, Netherlands
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Ponzi D, Flinn MV, Muehlenbein MP, Nepomnaschy PA. Hormones and human developmental plasticity. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 505:110721. [PMID: 32004677 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Natural selection favors the evolution of mechanisms that optimize the allocation of resources and time among competing traits. Hormones mediate developmental plasticity, the changes in the phenotype that occur during ontogeny. Despite their highly conserved functions, the flexibilities of human hormonal systems suggest a strong history of adaptation to variable environments. Physiological research on developmental plasticity has focused on the early programming effects of stress, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) and the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPGA) during critical periods, when the hormones produced have the strongest influence on the developing brain. Often this research emphasizes the maladaptive effects of early stressful experiences. Here we posit that the HPAA and HPAG systems in human developmental plasticity have evolved to be responsive to complex and dynamic problems associated with human sociality. The lengthy period of human offspring dependency, and its associated brain development and risks, is linked to the uniquely human combination of stable breeding bonds, extensive paternal effort in a multi-male group, extended bilateral kin recognition, grandparenting, and controlled exchange of mates among kin groups. We evaluate an evolutionary framework that integrates proximate physiological explanations with ontogeny, phylogeny, adaptive function, and comparative life history data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Ponzi
- Unit of Neuroscience, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy.
| | - Mark V Flinn
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
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Ryan CP, Kuzawa CW. Germline epigenetic inheritance: Challenges and opportunities for linking human paternal experience with offspring biology and health. Evol Anthropol 2020; 29:180-200. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Calen P. Ryan
- Department of AnthropologyNorthwestern University Evanston Illinois USA
| | - Christopher W. Kuzawa
- Department of AnthropologyNorthwestern University Evanston Illinois USA
- Institute for Policy Research Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA
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Kuijper B, Hanson MA, Vitikainen EIK, Marshall HH, Ozanne SE, Cant MA. Developing differences: early-life effects and evolutionary medicine. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 374:20190039. [PMID: 30966882 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in early-life conditions can trigger developmental switches that lead to predictable individual differences in adult behaviour and physiology. Despite evidence for such early-life effects being widespread both in humans and throughout the animal kingdom, the evolutionary causes and consequences of this developmental plasticity remain unclear. The current issue aims to bring together studies of early-life effects from the fields of both evolutionary ecology and biomedicine to synthesise and advance current knowledge of how information is used during development, the mechanisms involved, and how early-life effects evolved. We hope this will stimulate further research into early-life effects, improving our understanding of why individuals differ and how this might influence their susceptibility to disease. This article is part of the theme issue 'Developing differences: early-life effects and evolutionary medicine'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Kuijper
- 1 Environment and Sustainability Institute , Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 IEZ , UK
| | - Mark A Hanson
- 3 Institute of Developmental Sciences and NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, Southampton University Hospital and University of Southampton , UK
| | - Emma I K Vitikainen
- 2 Centre for Ecology and Conservation , Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 IEZ , UK.,4 Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Harry H Marshall
- 2 Centre for Ecology and Conservation , Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 IEZ , UK.,5 Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton , London SW15 4JD , UK
| | - Susan E Ozanne
- 6 University of Cambridge - Department of Clinical Biochemistry , Hills Road, Addenbrookes Level 4, Box 232 Cambridge CB2 2QR , UK
| | - Michael A Cant
- 2 Centre for Ecology and Conservation , Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 IEZ , UK
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Frankenhuis WE, Walasek N. Modeling the evolution of sensitive periods. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 41:100715. [PMID: 31999568 PMCID: PMC6994616 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, there has been monumental progress in our understanding of the neurobiological basis of sensitive periods. Little is known, however, about the evolution of sensitive periods. Recent studies have started to address this gap. Biologists have built mathematical models exploring the environmental conditions in which sensitive periods are likely to evolve. These models investigate how mechanisms of plasticity can respond optimally to experience during an individual's lifetime. This paper discusses the central tenets, insights, and predictions of these models, in relation to empirical work on humans and other animals. We also discuss which future models are needed to improve the bridge between theory and data, advancing their synergy. Our paper is written in an accessible manner and for a broad audience. We hope our work will contribute to recently emerging connections between the fields of developmental neuroscience and evolutionary biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole Walasek
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, the Netherlands
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Lu A, Petrullo L, Carrera S, Feder J, Schneider-Crease I, Snyder-Mackler N. Developmental responses to early-life adversity: Evolutionary and mechanistic perspectives. Evol Anthropol 2019; 28:249-266. [PMID: 31498945 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Adverse ecological and social conditions during early life are known to influence development, with rippling effects that may explain variation in adult health and fitness. The adaptive function of such developmental plasticity, however, remains relatively untested in long-lived animals, resulting in much debate over which evolutionary models are most applicable. Furthermore, despite the promise of clinical interventions that might alleviate the health consequences of early-life adversity, research on the proximate mechanisms governing phenotypic responses to adversity have been largely limited to studies on glucocorticoids. Here, we synthesize the current state of research on developmental plasticity, discussing both ultimate and proximate mechanisms. First, we evaluate the utility of adaptive models proposed to explain developmental responses to early-life adversity, particularly for long-lived mammals such as humans. In doing so, we highlight how parent-offspring conflict complicates our understanding of whether mothers or offspring benefit from these responses. Second, we discuss the role of glucocorticoids and a second physiological system-the gut microbiome-that has emerged as an additional, clinically relevant mechanism by which early-life adversity can influence development. Finally, we suggest ways in which nonhuman primates can serve as models to study the effects of early-life adversity, both from evolutionary and clinical perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Lauren Petrullo
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Sofia Carrera
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jacob Feder
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - India Schneider-Crease
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.,Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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Luoto S, Krams I, Rantala MJ. Response to Commentaries: Life History Evolution, Causal Mechanisms, and Female Sexual Orientation. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2019; 48:1335-1347. [PMID: 31119422 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-019-1439-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, Arts 1, Bldg. 206, Room 616, 14A Symonds St., Auckland, 1010, New Zealand.
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Indrikis Krams
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, University of Latvia, Rīga, Latvia
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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43
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Kuijper B, Johnstone RA. The evolution of early-life effects on social behaviour-why should social adversity carry over to the future? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180111. [PMID: 30966877 PMCID: PMC6460086 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown that social adversity in early life can have long-lasting consequences for social behaviour in adulthood, consequences that may in turn be propagated to future generations. Given these intergenerational effects, it is puzzling why natural selection might favour such sensitivity to an individual's early social environment. To address this question, we model the evolution of social sensitivity in the development of helping behaviours, showing that natural selection indeed favours individuals whose tendency to help others is dependent on early-life social experience. In organisms with non-overlapping generations, we find that natural selection can favour positive social feedbacks, in which individuals who received more help in early life are also more likely to help others in adulthood, while individuals who received no early-life help develop low tendencies to help others later in life. This positive social sensitivity is favoured because of an intergenerational relatedness feedback: patches with many helpers tend to be more productive, leading to higher relatedness within the local group, which in turn favours higher levels of help in the next generation. In organisms with overlapping generations, this positive feedback is less likely to occur, and those who received more help may instead be less likely to help others (negative social feedback). We conclude that early-life social influences can lead to strong between-individual differences in helping behaviour, which can take different forms dependent on the life history in question. This article is part of the theme issue 'Developing differences: early-life effects and evolutionary medicine'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Kuijper
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Rufus A. Johnstone
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
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Sear R, Sheppard P, Coall DA. Cross-cultural evidence does not support universal acceleration of puberty in father-absent households. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180124. [PMID: 30966893 PMCID: PMC6460089 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Father absence in early life has been shown to be associated with accelerated reproductive development in girls. Evolutionary social scientists have proposed several adaptive hypotheses for this finding. Though there is variation in the detail of these hypotheses, they all assume that family environment in early life influences the development of life-history strategy, and, broadly, that early reproductive development is an adaptive response to father absence. Empirical evidence to support these hypotheses, however, has been derived from WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic) populations. Data from a much broader range of human societies are necessary in order to properly test adaptive hypotheses. Here, we review the empirical literature on father absence and puberty in both sexes, focusing on recent studies that have tested this association beyond the WEIRD world. We find that relationships between father absence and age at puberty are more varied in contexts beyond WEIRD societies, and when relationships beyond the father-daughter dyad are considered. This has implications for our understanding of how early-life environment is linked to life-history strategies, and for our understanding of pathways to adult health outcomes, given that early reproductive development may be linked to negative health outcomes in later life This article is part of the theme issue 'Developing differences: early-life effects and evolutionary medicine'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Sear
- Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Paula Sheppard
- Department of Sociology, University of Oxford, Oxford UK
| | - David A. Coall
- Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia
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