Weaning behaviour in human evolution |
| |
| Authors: | Louise T Humphrey |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;2. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;3. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Human Evolution, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;4. University of Kent, School of Anthropology and Conservation, Marlowe Building, CT2 7NR Canterbury, UK;1. Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, U.S.A.;2. Department of Comparative Human Development, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, U.S.A.;3. Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, U.S.A.;4. Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Centre, Goettingen, Germany;5. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, U.S.A.;1. Department of Anthropology, 1085 South University Ave. 101 West Hall, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;2. Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda;1. Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;2. Freelance Nature Photographer, 28 Fithian Avenue, Merchantville, NJ 08109, USA;3. Freelance Nature Photographer, 9063 Douglas Circle, Helena, MT 59602, USA;4. Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481, USA;1. Hellenic Ministry of Culture, 28th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities, Sourmeli 24, 73110 Chania, Crete, Greece;2. Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 6 Deutscher Platz, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany;3. Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, Centre for Archaeological Sciences, University of Leuven, Ch. Debériotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium;4. Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, Keck CCAMS Group, B321 Croul Hall, Irvine, CA 92697, USA;5. Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H4, Canada;6. Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada |
| |
| Abstract: | Human life history incorporates early weaning, a prolonged period of post-weaning dependency and slow somatic growth, late onset of female reproduction, reduced birth spacing and a significant post-reproductive female lifespan, combined with rapid early brain growth. Weaned human offspring lack the cognitive skills and physical capacity required to locate, procure and prepare foods that are appropriate for their immature state and sufficient for their high energy requirements. During the weaning process and throughout childhood human offspring are supported by the provision of energy dense and easily digestible foods. Changes in weaning behaviour during human evolution imply a shift in the balance between maternal costs of lactation and the risk of poor offspring outcome, and may have been driven by an increase in infant nutritional and metabolic requirements, a reduction reproductive lifespan resulting in selection for reduced birth spacing or a change in other factors affecting offspring survival and fitness. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ |
|
