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Life historical perspectives on human reproductive aging
1Department of Human Evolutionary Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. pellison@fas.harvard.edu
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|August 27, 2010
Summary
Human reproductive aging varies by ecology and development. Extended lifespan, not ovarian changes, drove post-reproductive indirect fitness efforts in the Pleistocene.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Human reproductive ecology
- Life history theory
Background:
- Reproductive aging biology may be universal, but its manifestation varies.
- Human fertility patterns differ significantly from related hominoids and ancestral species.
- Life history shifts in the Pleistocene are central to understanding human evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide commentary on theoretical foundations of reproductive aging.
- To explore variations in reproductive aging across populations.
- To analyze the evolutionary pressures shaping human life history and reproductive strategies.
Main Methods:
- Commentary and theoretical analysis of existing research.
- Comparative analysis of human and hominoid reproductive patterns.
- Examination of life history changes during the Pleistocene.
Main Results:
- Reproductive aging varies individually and between populations due to ecological and developmental factors.
- Higher human fertility impacts relative contributions of different kin types to fitness.
- Extended adult lifespan, not altered ovarian senescence, was the primary Pleistocene physiological change, driving post-reproductive indirect fitness.
Conclusions:
- Ecological and developmental factors critically influence the course of reproductive aging.
- Shifts in fertility and lifespan have profoundly shaped human social structures and reproductive strategies.
- Extended lifespan created selection for indirect reproductive effort in postreproductive individuals.
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