Reproductive ecology and human evolution
Peter Thorpe Ellison (Editor)
"The study of human reproductive ecology represents an important new development in human evolutionary biology. Its focus is on the physiology of human reproduction and evidence of adaptation, and hence the action of natural selection, in that domain. But at the same time the study of human reproductive ecology provides an important perspective on the historical process of human evolution, a lens through which we may view the forces that have shaped us as a species. In the end, all actions of natural selection can be reduced to variation in the reproductive success of individuals. Peter Ellison is one of the pioneers in the fast growing area of reproductive ecology. He has collected for this volume the research of thirty-one of the most active and influential scientists in the field. Thanks to recent noninvasive techniques, these contributors can present direct empirical data on the effect of a broad array of ecological, behavioral, and constitutional variables on the reproductive processes of humans as well as wild primates. Because biological evolution is cumulative, however, organisms in the present must be viewed as products of the selective forces of past environments. The study of adaptation thus often involves inferences about formative ecological relationships that may no longer exist, or not in the same form. Making such inferences depends on carefully weighing a broad range of evidence drawn from studies of contemporary ecological variation, comparative studies of related taxonomies, and paleontological and genetic evidence of evolutionary history. The result of this inquiry sheds light not only on the functional aspects of an organism's contemporary biology but also on its evolutionary history and the selective forces that have shaped it through time. Encompassing a range of viewpoints--controversy along with consensus--this far-ranging collection offers an indispensable guide for courses in biological anthropology, human biology, and primatology, along with"--Provided by publisher
1 online resource (x, 478 pages)
9781351493512, 9781351493499, 9781315128467, 1351493515, 1351493493, 1315128462
1071909109
Print version:
Chapter Introduction Ecology, Reproduction, and Human Evolution Peter T. Ellison
part PART I: PHYSIOLOGICA L CONTEXT
chapter 1 Pregnancy Loss and Fecundability in Women Darryl J. Holman and James W. Wood
chapter 2 The Evolutionary and Ecological Context of Human Pregnancy Ivy L. Pike
chapter 3 Why Energy Expenditure Causes Reproductive Suppression in Women An Evolutionary and Bioenergetic Perspective Grazyna Jasienska
chapter 4 Lactation, Energetics, and Postpartum Fecundity Claudia R. Valeggia and Peter T. Ellison
chapter 5 Reproductive Physiology of the Human Male An Evolutionary and Life History Perspective Richard G. Bribiescas
part PART II: ECOLOGICA L CONTEXT
chapter 6 Reproductive Filtering and the Social Environment Samuel K. Wasser and Ned J. Place
chapter 7 Reproductive Ecology of Male Immune Function and Gonadal Function Benjamin C. Campbell, William D. Lukas, and Kenneth L. Campbell
chapter 8 Why Not So Great Is Still Good Enough Flexible Responsiveness in Human Reproductive Functioning Virginia J. Vitzthu m
chapter 9 Fertility Changes with the Prehistoric Transition to Agriculture Perspectives from Reproductive Ecology and Paleodemography Gillian R. Bentley, Richard R. Paine, and Jesper L. Boldsen
part PART III: DEVELOPMENTA L CONTEXT
chapter 10 Metabolism, Maturation, and Ovarian Function Susan F. Lipson
chapter 11 Child Survival and the Modulation of Parental Investment Physiological and Hormonal Considerations Helen Ball and Catherine Panter-Brick
chapter 12 Aging and Reproductive Senescence Lynnette Leidy Sievert
chapter 13 The Embodied Capital Theory of Human Evolution Hillard Kaplan, Kim Hill, A. Magdelena Hurtado, and Jane Lancaster
part PART IV: COMPARATIVE CONTEXT
chapter 14 Strepsirrhine Reproductive Ecology Patricia L. Whitte nand Diane K. Brockman
chapter 15 Reproductive Ecology of New World Monkeys Karen B. Strier
chapter 16 Reproductive Ecology of Old World Monkeys Fred B. Bercovitch
chapter 17 The Reproductive Ecology of Male Hominoids Martin N. Muller and Richard W. Wrangham
chapter 18 Female Reproductive Ecology of the Apes Implications for Human Evolution Cheryl Knott
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