HSCI 216 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Human Ecology, Menopause, Heritability
28 May 2018
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HSCI 216
Evolutionary Medicine (EM) = theoretical frameworks of ecology & evolution applied to the
study of health and disease
Human Ecology: The study of humans as a mammalian species that attempts to achieve its
basic biological goals while it interacts (affects and is affected by) its ecological context
- Basic biological goals?
o Survival and reproduction
▪ Differences in survival and reproduction lead to evolution
Evolution
- A change in the genetic makeup of a population between cohorts
- How does is occur?
o Natural Selection
o Genetic Drift
o Gene Flow
Natural Selection (NS) (process)
o Variation in survivorship
o Variation in reproduction
- Differential reproduction is a consequence of differences among individuals in their
ability to survive and reproduces in a given ecological context.
- What kind of traits can NS affect
o Heritability vary from 0 to 1
o 0 = resemblance between individual to that of those of any 2 chosen at
random
▪ Height: 0.75
▪ Age at menopause: 0.36
▪ Age at first birth: 0.11
- Could these traits be favoured/ disfavoured by natural selection? YES!
o Cancer
o Anxiety/ Depression
o Number of friends we are able to make and maintain
- Heritable traits associated to differential survival and reproduction?
- Health and disease can be linked to survival and reproduction
- It does not lead to perfection
o N“ a’t eliiate all outoes Caer, Aiet
- Limits of Natural Selection:
o “oe gees a e assoiated with oth ost ad eefits
o Compete with pathogens which have shorter life span
o Favour reductive success not comfort or happiness
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Evolutionary medicine (em) = theoretical frameworks of ecology & evolution applied to the study of health and disease. Human ecology: the study of humans as a mammalian species that attempts to achieve its basic biological goals while it interacts (affects and is affected by) its ecological context. Basic biological goals: survival and reproduction, differences in survival and reproduction lead to evolution. A change in the genetic makeup of a population between cohorts. How does is occur: natural selection, genetic drift, gene flow. Natural selection (ns) (process: variation in survivorship, variation in reproduction. Differential reproduction is a consequence of differences among individuals in their ability to survive and reproduces in a given ecological context. Yes: cancer, anxiety/ depression, number of friends we are able to make and maintain. Health and disease can be linked to survival and reproduction. It does not lead to perfection: n (cid:272)a(cid:374)"t eli(cid:373)i(cid:374)ate all out(cid:272)o(cid:373)es (cid:894)ca(cid:374)(cid:272)er, a(cid:374)(cid:454)iet(cid:455)(cid:895)
