Puberty as a life history transition

Abstract

This review connects Tanner's contributions to contemporary understanding of puberty as a process fundamentally driven by neuroendocrine maturation. It introduces the concepts of the 'hour-glass of puberty' and 'somatic strategy' as heuristic constructs. The 'hour-glass of puberty' describes the converging pathways of information flow influencing the timing of the neuroendocrine events of puberty and its ramifying consequences throughout the body. Somatic strategy refers to the pattern of sex-specific, adult body morphology that develops at puberty as the individual undergoes a life history transition from juvenile to adult.

Does puberty mark a transition in sensitive periods for plasticity in the associative neocortex?

“…The start of puberty, which marks the end of childhood and the onset of adolescence, is a critical life history transition (Ellison et al, 2012). In mammals, independence from parental care and dispersal typically occur during the peripubertal period, but the timing of independence and dispersal varies by species, season, sex, and even individual factors.…”

Puberty and adolescence as a time of vulnerability to stressors that alter neurobehavioral processes

“…A variety of permissive signals may converge on GnRH neurons, including photoperiod (i.e. melatonin), energy balance or metabolic (i.e., body fat, leptin), and psychosocial signals (Ellison et al, 2012; Sisk and Foster, 2004). These signals are mediated by the general excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, glutamate and GABA, respectively (Parent et al, 2005).…”

Energetics and the immune system: Trade-offs associated with non-acute levels of CRP in adolescent Gambian girls.

“…The adolescent transition is a particularly useful time to consider energetic dynamics, as during puberty investment in linear growth is first increased (the adolescent growth spurt) and then terminated. Meanwhile, investment in reproduction, manifested in females as the development of primary and secondary sexual characteristics and an increased metabolic priority given to energy storage as fat, increases as investment in growth subsides [18]. For instance, prior work from our group demonstrated that, in this participant sample, younger individuals prioritize lean mass, even at the expense of fat, while older individuals prioritize the fat deposits critical for reproductive success [39].…”

“…These pubertal girls are undergoing the adolescent transition and the accentuated energy demands of the growth spurt. During this time, individuals are increasing energy allocation to linear growth as well as differentially investing in tissue important to reproductive capacity, such as muscle and fat [18]. The immune system also undergoes changes during adolescence, though these are less well-understood.…”