Anthropology and Individual Lives: The Story of the Life History and the History of the Life Story

Life Stories: The Creation of Coherence . Charlotte Linde.
Storied Lives: The Cultural Politics of Self-Understanding . George C. Rosenwald and Richard L. Ochberg, eds.     

The Life History of Scaberia Agardhii Greville

Scaberia agardhii is an endemic species in southern Australia.Growth is initiated by means of a three-sided apical cell whichsegments and forms the meristoderm, the cortex, and the medulla.Slender, scale-like, and verruciform segments occur. The plantis monoecious and the conceptacles are bisexual. On germinationtwo primary rhizoids are formed. Scaberia is included withinthe Cystoseiraceae.     

The Life History of Acetabularia mobii Solms-Laubach

Acetabularia mobii Solms-Laubach is a perennial and littoralalga along the coast of Karachi. Plants bear 15–18 gametangiawhich are strongly calcined. The contents of gametangia aretransformed into 64–85 thick-walled multinucleate sphericalcysts which produce anisogamous biflagellate gametes. Micro-and macro-gametes are produced in two different cysts of thesame gametangium. The germinating zygotes produce directly erectcylindrical tube-like structures which ultimately form adultplants.     

The Effect of Life History on Retroviral Genome Invasions

Endogenous retroviruses (ERV), or the remnants of past retroviral infections that are no longer active, are found in the genomes of most vertebrates, typically constituting approximately 10% of the genome. In some vertebrates, particularly in shorter-lived species like rodents, it is not unusual to find active endogenous retroviruses. In longer-lived species, including humans where substantial effort has been invested in searching for active ERVs, it is unusual to find them; to date none have been found in humans. Presumably the chance of detecting an active ERV infection is a function of the length of an ERV epidemic. Intuitively, given that ERVs or signatures of past ERV infections are passed from parents to offspring, we might expect to detect more active ERVs in species with longer generation times, as it should take more years for an infection to run its course in longer than in shorter lived species. This means the observation of more active ERV infections in shorter compared to longer-lived species is paradoxical. We explore this paradox using a modeling approach to investigate factors that influence ERV epidemic length. Our simple epidemiological model may explain why we find evidence of active ERV infections in shorter rather than longer-lived species.     

宽礁膜的生活史

在国内首次观察描述了宽礁膜(Monostroma latissimum Wittrock)生活史各阶段的形态结构特征和发育变化,并对其单性生殖进行了周年培养和观察。大型的雌雄异体的膜状配子体成熟后,放散双鞭毛的配子,小型的球状孢子体成熟后放散四鞭毛的游孢子,其生活史是单倍体的配子体与二倍体的孢子体互相交替的异形世代交替。另外,在生活史中还发现合子和孢子囊的二分裂增殖方式,一年生配子体和二年生孢子囊等现象。未接合的雌、雄配子固着后变成球状单细胞体,室内培养后发育成成熟的单性孢子囊,并放散四鞭毛的游孢子,这些游孢子固着后,可直接发育成膜状的配子体,单性生殖也可以用来进行人工育苗。     

宽礁膜的生活史

在国内首次观察描述了宽礁膜(Monostroma latissimum Wittrock)生活史各阶段的形态结构特征和发育变化,并对其单性生殖进行了周年培养和观察.大型的雌雄异体的膜状配子体成熟后,放散双鞭毛的配子,小型的球状孢子体成熟后放散四鞭毛的游孢子,其生活史是单倍体的配子体与二倍体的孢子体互相交替的异形世代交替.另外,在生活史中还发现合子和孢子囊的二分裂增殖方式,一年生配子体和二年生孢子囊等现象.未接合的雌、雄配子固着后变成球状单细胞体,室内培养后发育成成熟的单性孢子囊,并放散四鞭毛的游孢子,这些游孢子固着后,可直接发育成膜状的配子体,单性生殖也可以用来进行人工育苗.     

Lemur Biorhythms and Life History Evolution

Skeletal histology supports the hypothesis that primate life histories are regulated by a neuroendocrine rhythm, the Havers-Halberg Oscillation (HHO). Interestingly, subfossil lemurs are outliers in HHO scaling relationships that have been discovered for haplorhine primates and other mammals. We present new data to determine whether these species represent the general lemur or strepsirrhine condition and to inform models about neuroendocrine-mediated life history evolution. We gathered the largest sample to date of HHO data from histological sections of primate teeth (including the subfossil lemurs) to assess the relationship of these chronobiological measures with life history-related variables including body mass, brain size, age at first female reproduction, and activity level. For anthropoids, these variables show strong correlations with HHO conforming to predictions, though body mass and endocranial volume are strongly correlated with HHO periodicity in this group. However, lemurs (possibly excepting Daubentonia) do not follow this pattern and show markedly less variability in HHO periodicity and lower correlation coefficients and slopes. Moreover, body mass is uncorrelated, and brain size and activity levels are more strongly correlated with HHO periodicity in these animals. We argue that lemurs evolved this pattern due to selection for risk-averse life histories driven by the unpredictability of the environment in Madagascar. These results reinforce the idea that HHO influences life history evolution differently in response to specific ecological selection regimes.     

Assortative Pairing and Life History Strategy

A secondary analysis was performed on preliminary data from an ongoing cross-cultural study on assortative pairing. Independently sampled pairs of opposite-sex romantic partners and of same-sex friends rated themselves and each other on Life History (LH) strategy and mate value. Data were collected in local bars, clubs, coffeehouses, and other public places from three different cultures: Tucson, Arizona; Hermosillo, Sonora; and San José, Costa Rica. The present analysis found that slow LH individuals assortatively pair with both sexual and social partners more strongly than fast LH individuals. We interpret this phenomenon as representing (1) an adaptation for preserving coadapted genomes in slow LH strategists to maintain high copying fidelity genetic replication while producing a lower number of offspring in stable, predictable, and controllable environments and (2) a bet-hedging adaptation in fast LH strategists, favoring the genetic diversification of a higher number of offspring in unstable, unpredictable, and uncontrollable environments.

The Life History Flora of Japan—A New Series

Abstract Plant Species Biology will publish a continuing series of papers on the biology and life history of vascular plant species indigenous to or well naturalized in the flora of Japan. This paper sets forth the guidelines and format for contributors to this series. This new series attempts to establish a record as complete as possible concerning all aspects of the life history characteristics as well as significant biosystematic characters of the species under consideration, and keen attention will be given to the species which are becoming very rare and endangered, especially in the lowland areas and aquatic habitats (e.g., rivers and ponds).     

The Importance of Population Growth and Regulation in Human Life History Evolution

Explaining the evolution of human life history traits remains an important challenge for evolutionary anthropologists. Progress is hindered by a poor appreciation of how demographic factors affect the action of natural selection. I review life history theory showing that the quantity maximized by selection depends on whether and how population growth is regulated. I show that the common use of R, a strategy’s expected lifetime number of offspring, as a fitness maximand is only appropriate under a strict set of conditions, which are apparently unappreciated by anthropologists. To concretely show how demography-free life history theory can lead to errors, I reanalyze an influential model of human life history evolution, which investigated the coevolution of a long lifespan and late age of maturity. I show that the model’s conclusions do not hold under simple changes to the implicitly assumed mechanism of density dependence, even when stated assumptions remain unchanged. This analysis suggests that progress in human life history theory requires better understanding of the demography of our ancestors.     

Life Expectancy and the Timing of Life History Events in Developing Countries

Life history theory predicts that greater extrinsic mortality will lead to earlier and higher fertility. To test this prediction, I examine the relationship between life expectancy at birth and several proxies for life history traits (ages at first sex and first marriage, total fertility rate, and ideal number of children), measured for both men and women. Data on sexual behaviors come from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Two separate samples are analyzed: a cross-sectional sample of 62 countries and a panel sample that includes multiple cross-sectional panels from 48 countries. Multivariate regression analysis is used to control for potential confounding variables. The results provide only partial support for the predictions, with greater support among women than men. However, the prediction is not supported in sub-Saharan African countries, most likely owing to the nonequilibrium conditions observed in sub-Saharan Africa with respect to life expectancy. The applicability of the model to understanding HIV/AIDS risk behaviors is discussed.     

The Tsimane Health and Life History Project: Integrating anthropology and biomedicine

The Tsimane Health and Life History Project, an integrated bio‐behavioral study of the human life course, is designed to test competing hypotheses of human life‐history evolution. One aim is to understand the bidirectional connections between life history and social behavior in a high‐fertility, kin‐based context lacking amenities of modern urban life (e.g. sanitation, banks, electricity). Another aim is to understand how a high pathogen burden influences health and well‐being during development and adulthood. A third aim addresses how modernization shapes human life histories and sociality. Here we outline the project's goals, history, and main findings since its inception in 2002. We reflect on the implications of current findings and highlight the need for more coordinated ethnographic and biomedical study of contemporary nonindustrial populations to address broad questions that can situate evolutionary anthropology in a key position within the social and life sciences.     

Oviposition Site Choice and Life History Evolution

SYNOPSIS. Studies of life history evolution, as well as muchof life history theory, have typically focused on "hard" componentsof life histories; phenotypic characteristics that can be readilyobserved, quantified, and ultimately, connected rather directlyto fitness. Typical of these are propagule size, propagule number,and age and size at maturity. What is largely missing from thestudy of life history evolution is consideration of the roleof behavior, principally female oviposition site choice, inthe evolution of life histories. For oviparous organisms, naturalselection cannot produce locally optimized "hard" componentsof life history phenotypes without a consistent environmentalcontext (whether invariant orvariable); in a variable environment,that consistent environmental context can be most effectivelyprovided by interactive oviposition site choice. I present amodel of selection on oviposition site choice in the contextof the evolution of "hard" components of life history phenotypes,along with some experimental data illustrating oviposition sitechoice in response to predators. The model and data are thenrelated to the overall question of the role of oviposition sitechoice in life history evolution. The conclusion is that ovipositionsite choice must be under equally strong selection with eggsize, egg number and the other hard components of life historiesin order to generate and optimize locally adapted or ecologicallyspecialized life history phenotypes, and must therefore, playa significant role in the evolution of life histories.     

Horizontal Gene Transfer and the History of Life

Microbes acquire DNA from a variety of sources. The last decades, which have seen the development of genome sequencing, have revealed that horizontal gene transfer has been a major evolutionary force that has constantly reshaped genomes throughout evolution. However, because the history of life must ultimately be deduced from gene phylogenies, the lack of methods to account for horizontal gene transfer has thrown into confusion the very concept of the tree of life. As a result, many questions remain open, but emerging methodological developments promise to use information conveyed by horizontal gene transfer that remains unexploited today.The discovery of the existence of prokaryotic microbes dates back more than 300 years. Since then, our picture of our distant microscopic relatives has undergone several revolutions: from being the living “proofs” of the existence of spontaneous generation, they became later the “archaic” representatives of our distant ancestors, to finally be legitimately recognized as exceptionally diverse organisms, keystone to any ecosystem, including the most familiar and the most hostile environments on Earth. Similarly, although they were first seen as elementary and unbreakable bricks of life, they are now seen as genetically composite bodies, heavyweight champions of “gene robbery.” The most recent of these revolutions has indeed been the realization of their unparalleled ability to integrate genetic material coming from more or less evolutionarily distant organisms. This mechanism is called “horizontal gene transfer” as opposed to vertical transmission from mother to daughter cell.     

The Influence of Diurnal Temperature Variation on Degree-Day Accumulation and Insect Life History

Ectotherms, such as insects, experience non-constant temperatures in nature. Daily mean temperatures can be derived from the daily maximum and minimum temperatures. However, the converse is not true and environments with the same mean temperature can exhibit very different diurnal temperate ranges. Here we apply a degree-day model for development of the grape berry moth (Paralobesia viteana, a significant vineyard pest in the northeastern USA) to investigate how different diurnal temperature range conditions can influence degree-day accumulation and, hence, insect life history. We first consider changes in diurnal temperature range independent of changes in mean temperatures. We then investigate grape berry moth life history under potential climate change conditions, increasing mean temperature via variable patterns of change to diurnal temperature range. We predict that diurnal temperature range change can substantially alter insect life history. Altering diurnal temperature range independent of the mean temperature can affect development rate and voltinism, with the magnitude of the effects dependent on whether changes occur to the daily minimum temperature (Tmin), daily maximum temperature (Tmax), or both. Allowing for an increase in mean temperature produces more marked effects on life history but, again, the patterns and magnitude depend on the nature of the change to diurnal temperature range together with the starting conditions in the local environment. The study highlights the importance of characterizing the influence of diurnal temperature range in addition to mean temperature alone.     

植物生活史对策的进化

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Life History Evolution in Amphicarpic Plants

Abstract Plants with dimorphic flowers or seeds provide excellent material for the study of life history evolution because the dimorphism often involves measurable differences in morphology, size, number, or genetic relatedness. For amphicarpic plants, the proportion of aerial: subterranean morphs produced is highly variable (from 0 to > 100) and related to both environmental and genetic factors. Plants from aerial seeds produce lower ratios of aerial: subterranean morphs than those from subterranean seeds. Despite substantial variation, subterranean seeds are generally heavier than aerial seeds (but fewer) and produce vigorous seedlings with high survivorship and high fitness. Adaptive advantages of subterranean seeds include retention of offspring in favorable parental microhabitats, protection of seeds from herbivory, predation, or fire, and avoidance of desiccating conditions on the soil surface; potential disadvantages include lack of gene exchange, high energy costs, limited dispersal, and sibling competition. For the few species studied, aerial reproduction is more plastic than subterranean reproduction and more likely to be affected by environmental conditions. Quantitative genetic analyses of a population of the annual grass Amphicarpum purshii have revealed lower heritabilites for subterranean relative to aerial reproductive traits. Subterranean seed number and mass show genetic correlations with shoot mass while aerial seed number and mass do not; seed set percentages of both seed types as well as percentage allocation to both reproductive morphs show negative genetic correlations with shoot mass. In this Amphicarpum population, directional selection on shoot mass may indirectly select for increased subterranean (but not aerial) seed output.     

Violence, Teenage Pregnancy, and Life History

Guided by principles of life history strategy development, this study tested the hypothesis that sexual precocity and violence are influenced by sensitivities to local environmental conditions. Two models of strategy development were compared: The first is based on indirect perception of ecological cues through family disruption and the second is based on both direct and indirect perception of ecological stressors. Results showed a moderate correlation between rates of violence and sexual precocity (r?=?0.59). Although a model incorporating direct and indirect effects provided a better fit than one based on family mediation alone, significant improvements were made by linking some ecological factors directly to behavior independently of strategy development. The models support the contention that violence and teenage pregnancy are part of an ecologically determined pattern of strategy development and suggest that while the family unit is critical in affecting behavior, individuals’ direct experiences of the environment are also important.