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Recapitulating Suckling-to-Weaning Transition In Vitro using Fetal Intestinal Organoids
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Weaning behaviour in human evolution.

Louise T Humphrey1

  • 1Department of Paleontology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom. lth@nhm.ac.uk

Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology
|November 17, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human offspring require energy-dense foods during weaning due to prolonged dependency and rapid brain growth. Evolutionary changes in weaning reflect a balance between maternal costs and offspring survival needs.

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Area of Science:

  • Human evolutionary biology
  • Paleoanthropology
  • Nutritional science

Background:

  • Human life history is characterized by extended juvenile dependency, slow growth, and significant brain development.
  • Weaned human infants and children lack the skills to independently acquire sufficient nutrition for their high metabolic demands.
  • This dependency necessitates the provision of easily digestible, energy-dense foods during the weaning period and childhood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the evolutionary drivers behind human weaning practices.
  • To understand the nutritional and metabolic requirements of human offspring during development.
  • To analyze the interplay between maternal investment, offspring survival, and reproductive strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of human life history traits with other primates.
  • Review of anthropological and archaeological evidence related to early human diets and caregiving.
  • Modeling of energetic costs and benefits associated with different weaning strategies.

Main Results:

  • Human weaning involves a prolonged period of nutritional dependence, contrasting with many other species.
  • Rapid early brain growth in humans creates exceptionally high energy demands.
  • Evolutionary shifts in weaning likely balanced maternal lactation costs against offspring survival risks.

Conclusions:

  • Human weaning practices are a key adaptation supporting prolonged development and cognitive evolution.
  • Changes in weaning behavior reflect adaptations to increased infant nutritional needs and altered reproductive timing.
  • Understanding human weaning provides insights into the evolution of parental care and life history strategies.