Endocrine-Environment Interaction in Human Variability

Purifoy, Frances E.

doi:10.1146/annurev.an.10.100181.001041

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 108 publications

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“…For example, the Human Adaptability Project (Weiner, 1964;Lasker, 1969;Baker, 1978) produced a large body of empirical evidence amply demonstrating the significance of developmental experiences in generating human variation and unequivocally refuting ''biological uniformitarianism'' (Leslie and Little, 2003). Reflecting this legacy, anthropologists have proposed that pre-adult conditions have shaped adult reproductive functioning (Purifoy, 1981;Vitzthum and Smith, 1989;Vitzthum, 1990Vitzthum, , 1992bVitzthum, , 1997Vitzthum, , 2001bEllison, 1990Ellison, , 1994Ellison, , 1996aChisholm, 1993Chisholm, , 1999Chisholm et al, 2005).…”

Section: Dietary Composition Despite Vast Differences In Diets Mostmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ecology and evolutionary endocrinology of reproduction in the human female

Vitzthum

2009

American J Phys Anthropol

150

114

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Human reproductive ecology (HRE) is the study of the mechanisms that link variation in reproductive traits with variation in local habitats. Empirical and theoretical contributions from biological anthropology, physiology, and demography have established the foundation necessary for developing a comprehensive understanding, grounded in life history theory (LHT), of temporal, individual, and populational variation in women's reproductive functioning. LHT posits that natural selection leads to the evolution of mechanisms that tend to allocate resources to the competing demands of growth, reproduction, and survival such that fitness is locally maximized. (That is, among alternative allocation patterns exhibited in a population, those having the highest inclusive fitness will become more common over generational time.) Hence, strategic modulation of reproductive effort is potentially adaptive because investment in a new conception may risk one's own survival, future reproductive opportunities, and/or current offspring survival. The hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis is the principal neuroendocrine pathway by which the human female modulates reproductive functioning according to the changing conditions in her habitat. Adjustments of reproductive investment in a potential conception are manifested in temporal and individual variation in ovarian cycle length, ovulation, hormone levels, and the probability of conception. Understanding the extent and causes of adaptive and non-adaptive variation in ovarian functioning is fundamental to ascertaining the proximate and remote determinants of human reproductive patterns. In this review I consider what is known and what still needs to be learned of the ecology of women's reproductive biology, beginning with a discussion of the principal explanatory frameworks in HRE and the biometry of ovarian functioning. Turning next to empirical studies, it is evident that marked variation between cycles, women, and populations is the norm rather than an aberration. Other than woman's age, the determinants of these differences are not well characterized, although developmental conditions, dietary practices, genetic variation, and epigenetic mechanisms have all been hypothesized to play some role. It is also evident that the reproductive functioning of women born and living in arduous conditions is not analogous to that of athletes, dieters, or even the lower end of the ''normal range'' of HPO functioning in wealthier populations. Contrary to the presumption that humans have low fecundity and an inefficient reproductive system, both theory and present evidence suggest that we may actually have very high fecundity and a reproductive system that has evolved to be flexible, ruthlessly efficient and, most importantly, strategic. It would be instructive to know not only by what physiological mechanisms a just apportionment is made between the nutriment devoted to the gonads and that devoted to the rest of the parental organism, but also what circumstances in the life-history and e...

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Section: Dietary Composition Despite Vast Differences In Diets Mostmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ecology and evolutionary endocrinology of reproduction in the human female

Vitzthum

2009

American J Phys Anthropol

150

114

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“…Conversely, poor nutrition acts to slow down fertility (Haas and Harrison, 1977) as well as growth (with its endocrine parameters) and with it the age of onset of pubertal spurt (Eveleth, 1979;Malcolm, 1979;Purifoy, 1981;Stinson, 1985).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sex differences in the human brain and the nervous system, affecting cognition and temperament, may also be involved (Harris, 1985;Waber, 1985;Wynn et al, 1996). Sex differences may also be implicated in the endocrine response to emotional stimuli (Purifoy, 1981).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual dimorphism using elliptical Fourier analysis: shape differences in the craniofacial complex

Lestrel

Kanazawa

Wolfe³

2011

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The assessment of sexual dimorphism plays an essential role in numerous disciplines such as: (1) forensics, with its concern with skeletal identification, including sexing; (2) archeology, where the sexing of skeletal materials is an essential aspect; (3) primatology, where sex differences are diverse; (4) paleoanthropology, where the identification of sex can influence taxonomic and phylogenetic decisions, and (5) growth and development, where one strives to identify differences before and after puberty. Other disciplines where sexual dimorphism plays an important function include orthodontics, gerontology, nutrition, and medicine. Quantitative studies of morphological forms in general, and sexual dimorphism in particular, is not a trivial endeavor in that at least two aspects are involved, namely size and shape. Focusing on the human skeletal system, sexual dimorphism affects all bones, including the cranium, pelvis, long bones, and vertebral column. However, the overwhelming numbers of studies of sexual dimorphism are based solely on size differences. These studies have repeatedly demonstrated that males are larger for most dimensions. The question of shape differences, if indeed present, cannot be readily inferred from these studies. Consequently, a number of studies were initiated, over some 20 years duration, that specifically focused on the presence of sexually dimorphic shape changes in the skeletal craniofacial complex. The following anatomical structures were examined: (1) the human nasal bones, (2) the primate cranial base, (3) the human cranial base, (4) the human dental arch, (5) the human mandibular arch, and (6) the human cranial vault. These six datasets involved 16 samples for a total of 1110 specimens. Every dataset generated statistically significant sexually dimorphic differences in shape. Thus, it is apparent that the craniofacial complex not only exhibits size differences but also specific shape differences.

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“…Androgens are important for anabolic or synthetic processes (Kochakian, 19761, but their role in female metabolism is poorly understood. Furthermore, most studies of sex steroids in females have utilized Caucasian subjects, and racial variability has not been well investigated (Purifoy, 1981). We have therefore examined serum androstenedione (A) and testosterone (TI, which are ovarian and adrenal androgens in females (Horton and Tait, 19661, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), primarily an adrenal product (Korth-Schutz et al, 1976), and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in a group of Pima Indian females compared to Caucasian females of similar age.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Serum androgens and sex hormone binding globulin in obese Pima Indian females

Purifoy

Koopmans

Tatum

et al. 1981

American J Phys Anthropol

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Levels of serum androgens and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured in 20 obese Pima Indian females aged 19-44 and compared with those of normal-weight Caucasians aged 20-46. The Pima exhibited significantly decreased SHBG compared to Caucasians, but a strong effect of age on androgen levels rendered mean comparisons useless. Androstenedione (A) and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) decreased significantly, and testosterone (T) declined slightly with age in the Pima, whereas these androgens showed no significant decreases in Caucasians for this age range. A possible relationship of androgens to the Pima female's propensity for android obesity as well as possible effects of obesity on SHBG, and aging is discussed.

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Endocrine-Environment Interaction in Human Variability

Cited by 8 publications

References 108 publications

The ecology and evolutionary endocrinology of reproduction in the human female

The ecology and evolutionary endocrinology of reproduction in the human female

Sexual dimorphism using elliptical Fourier analysis: shape differences in the craniofacial complex

Serum androgens and sex hormone binding globulin in obese Pima Indian females

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