Natural selection associated with birth weight. VI. Towards the end of the stabilizing component
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1Dipartimento di Genetica e Biologia Molecolare, Università La Sapienza, Roma.
Annals of Human Genetics
|May 1, 1992
Abstract:
The secular trend for stabilizing selection on birth weight has been analysed in Italy from 1954 to 1985 in order to study changes in the forces of natural selection which have occurred as a consequence of progress in health care. In previous papers we demonstrated a very rapid relaxation of stabilizing selection on birth weight. In this paper we show that in the last few years this kind of selection has been coming to an end for the vast majority of Italian newborns.