Strategies of Adaptation: Interpopulation Selection Differentials

Abstract

Spatial and temporal variation of selection intensities has been analyzed using published data on Crow's indices in 278 human populations, representing various anthropological types, religions, cultures and a wide spectrum of environmental conditions. Statistical analysis has shown that populations with different types of economy have different adaptive strategies. In tribal populations both components of selection-differential fertility and differential mortality-have equal contributions, vary according to ecological factors and show no decline with time. Urban populations of the industrially developed countries show dramatic selection relaxation; the second component becomes negligible due to a sharp decrease in childhood mortality; fertility and its variance are reducing due to cultural factors (family planning).

Biological Fitness and Action Opportunity of Natural Selection in an Urban Population of Cuba: Plaza De La Revolución, Havana

“…The potential selection index due to differential fertility shown in Table 2 (0.362) is similar to that of other present day urban communities (Kurbatova & Privalova, 2005). The potential selection index due to differential mortality shows a very low (Crow, 1958) 0.404 value (0.031), which approaches the lowest level of human population variability, from 0.01 to 1.78 (Puzyrev et al, 1999).…”

A new approach to estimating the prevalence of hereditary hearing loss: An analysis of the distribution of sign language users based on census data in Russia

“…Although Russians are the major ethnic group in Russia (111 million out of the total population of 146 million), there is a significant number of indigenous ethnic populations living for hundreds of years in their historical locations (over 200 different ethnicities and ethnic groups, according to the 2010 Census) unevenly dispersed across the vast territory of Russia [34]. The small size of these populations, isolation and specific mating traditions led to significant levels of endogamy [42][43][44][45][46][47]. These factors can explain the high rates of specific hereditary pathologies detected in different regions of Russia.…”