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Ocobock C. Human cold adaptation: An unfinished agenda v2.0. Am J Hum Biol 2024; 36:e23937. [PMID: 37345289 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research on human extreme cold climate adaptations has benefitted from a recent resurgence since Ted Steegmann laid out his Human Cold Adaptation Agenda in 2007. Human biologists have drastically expanded our knowledge in this area during the last 15 years, but we still have a great deal more work to do to fulfill the cold climate adaptation agenda. METHODS Here, I follow Steegmann's example by providing a review of cold climate adaptations and setting forth a new, expanded agenda. RESULTS I review the foundational work on cold climate adaptations including classic Bergmann, Allen, and Thomson rules as well as early work assessing metabolic differences among Indigenous cold climate populations. From there, I discuss some of the groundbreaking work currently taking place on cold climate adaptations such as brown adipose tissue (a heat generating organ), physical activity levels, metabolic rates, and behavioral/cultural mechanisms. Finally, I present a path forward for future research with a focus on some of the basic extreme cold adaptations as well as how human biologists should approach the effects of climate change on human health and well-being, particularly within a cold climate context. CONCLUSION The Arctic has felt the dramatic effects of climate change sooner and more acutely than other parts of the world, making it an ideal location for studying both cold climate adaptations and climate change resilience. Human biologists have a great deal to contribute to the conversation on not only adaptations to extreme cold, but also the ways in which climate change is being embodied by cold climate populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara Ocobock
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Department of Gender Studies, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Institute for Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
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Leonard WR. Pearl Memorial Lecture. Humans at the extremes: Exploring human adaptation to ecological and social stressors. Am J Hum Biol 2024; 36:e24010. [PMID: 37974340 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The field of human biology has long explored how human populations have adapted to extreme environmental circumstances. Yet, it has become increasingly clear that conditions of social stress, poverty, and lifestyle change play equally important roles in shaping human biological variation and health. In this paper, I provide a brief background on the foundational human adaptability research of the International Biological Programme (IBP) from the 1960s, highlighting how its successes and critiques have shaped current research directions in the field. I then discuss and reflect on my own field research that has examined the influence of both environmental and social stresses on human populations living in different ecosystems: the Peruvian Andes, the Siberian arctic, and the Bolivian rainforest. Finally, I consider how the papers in this special issue advance our understanding of human adaptability to extreme conditions and offer directions for future research. Drawing on our field's distinctive evolutionary and biocultural perspectives, human biologists are uniquely positioned to examine how the interplay between social and ecological domains influences the human condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R Leonard
- Department of Anthropology & Program in Global Health Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
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3
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Niclou A, Sarma M, Levy S, Ocobock C. To the extreme! How biological anthropology can inform exercise physiology in extreme environments. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 284:111476. [PMID: 37423419 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
The fields of biological anthropology and exercise physiology are closely related and can provide mutually beneficial insights into human performance. These fields often use similar methods and are both interested in how humans function, perform, and respond in extreme environments. However, these two fields have different perspectives, ask different questions, and work within different theoretical frameworks and timescales. Biological anthropologists and exercise physiologists can greatly benefit from working together when examining human adaptation, acclimatization, and athletic performance in the extremes of heat, cold, and high-altitude. Here we review the adaptations and acclimatizations in these three different extreme environments. We then examine how this work has informed and built upon exercise physiology research on human performance. Finally, we present an agenda for moving forward, hopefully, with these two fields working more closely together to produce innovative research that improves our holistic understanding of human performance capacities informed by evolutionary theory, modern human acclimatization, and the desire to produce immediate and direct benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Niclou
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America. https://twitter.com/fiat_luxandra
| | - Mallika Sarma
- Human Space Flight Lab, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America. https://twitter.com/skyy_mal
| | - Stephanie Levy
- Department of Anthropology, CUNY Hunter College, New York, NY, United States of America; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, United States of America. https://twitter.com/slevyscience
| | - Cara Ocobock
- University of Notre Dame Department of Anthropology, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America; Eck Institute for Global Health, Institute for Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame, United States of America.
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4
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Rosinger AY. Extreme climatic events and human biology and health: A primer and opportunities for future research. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23843. [PMID: 36449411 PMCID: PMC9840683 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme climatic events are increasing in frequency, leading to hotter temperatures, flooding, droughts, severe storms, and rising oceans. This special issue brings together a collection of seven articles that describe the impacts of extreme climatic events on a diverse set of human biology and health outcomes. The first two articles cover extreme temperatures extending from extreme heat to cold and changes in winter weather and the respective implications for adverse health events, human environmental limits, well-being, and human adaptability. Next, two articles cover the effects of exposures to extreme storms through an examination of hurricanes and cyclones on stress and birth outcomes. The following two articles describe the effects of extreme flooding events on livelihoods, nutrition, water and food insecurity, diarrheal and respiratory health, and stress. The last article examines the effects of drought on diet and food insecurity. Following a brief review of each extreme climatic event and articles covered in this special issue, I discuss future research opportunities-highlighting domains of climate change and specific research questions that are ripe for biological anthropologists to investigate. I close with a description of interdisciplinary methods to assess climate exposures and human biology outcomes to aid the investigation of the defining question of our time - how climate change will affect human biology and health. Ultimately, climate change is a water, food, and health problem. Human biologists offer a unique perspective for a combination of theoretical, methodological, and applied reasons and thus are in a prime position to contribute to this critical research agenda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher Y. Rosinger
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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5
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Ocobock C, Soppela P, Turunen MT. No association of BMI and body adiposity with cardiometabolic biomarkers among a small sample of reindeer herders of sub-Arctic Finland. Int J Circumpolar Health 2022; 81:2024960. [PMID: 35073832 PMCID: PMC8794070 DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2021.2024960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The rising global obesity rate is alarming due to its real health and socioeconomic consequences. Finland, like other circumpolar regions, is also experiencing a rise in obesity . Here we assess BMI, body adiposity, and measures of cardiometabolic health among a small population of reindeer herders in sub-Arctic Finland. We collected anthropometric and biomarker measures at two different time points: October 2018 (N = 20) and January 2019 (N = 21) with a total of 25 unique individuals across the data collection periods (ages 20-64). Anthropometric measures included height, weight, age, and body composition. Biomarkers included measures of cholesterol, fasting glucose, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Over 70% of this sample was classified as "overweight" and "obese" as categorised by BMI and 64% classified as "overfat" based on body fat percentage. However, there was no significant relationship between BMI and body fat percentage with any of the measured biomarkers. Although the sample size is small, the results of this study suggest there might not be a strong correlation between BMI, body adiposity, and cardiometabolic health indices within this population - a pattern that has been documented elsewhere. However, further study is needed to confirm this lack of a correlation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara Ocobock
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Institute for Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Päivi Soppela
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland
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Ocobock C, Soppela P, Turunen M, Stenbäck V, Herzig KH. Brown adipose tissue thermogenesis among a small sample of reindeer herders from sub-Arctic Finland. J Physiol Anthropol 2022; 41:17. [PMID: 35443705 PMCID: PMC9022279 DOI: 10.1186/s40101-022-00290-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Interest in human physiological responses to cold stress have seen a resurgence in recent years with a focus on brown adipose tissue (BAT), a mitochondria dense fat specialized for heat production. However, a majority of the work examining BAT has been conducted among temperate climate populations. Methods To expand our understanding of BAT thermogenesis in a cold climate population, we measured, using indirect calorimetry and thermal imaging, metabolic rate and body surface temperatures of BAT-positive and BAT-negative regions at room temperature, and mild cold exposure of resting participants from a small sample of reindeer herders (N = 22, 6 females) from sub-Arctic Finland. Results We found that most herders experienced a significant mean 8.7% increase in metabolic rates, preferentially metabolized fatty acids, and maintained relatively warmer body surface temperatures at the supraclavicular region (known BAT location) compared to the sternum, which has no associated BAT. These results indicate that the herders in this sample exhibit active BAT thermogenesis in response to mild cold exposure. Conclusions This study adds to the rapidly growing body of work looking at the physiological and thermoregulatory significance of BAT and the important role it may play among cold stressed populations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40101-022-00290-4.
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7
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Burris ME, Caceres E, Chester EM, Hicks KA, McDade TW, Sikkink L, Spielvogel H, Thornburg J, Vitzthum VJ. Socioeconomic impacts on Andean adolescents’ growth. Evol Med Public Health 2022; 10:409-428. [PMID: 36090675 PMCID: PMC9454678 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoac033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background/Objectives We evaluated potential socioeconomic contributors to variation in Andean adolescents’ growth between households within a peri-urban community undergoing rapid demographic and economic change, between different community types (rural, peri-urban, urban) and over time. Because growth monitoring is widely used for assessing community needs and progress, we compared the prevalences of stunting, underweight, and overweight estimated by three different growth references. Methods Anthropometrics of 101 El Alto, Bolivia, adolescents (Alteños), 11.0–14.9 years old in 2003, were compared between households (economic status assessed by parental occupations); to one urban and two rural samples collected in 1983/1998/1977, respectively; and to the WHO growth reference, a representative sample of Bolivian children (MESA), and a region-wide sample of high-altitude Peruvian children (Puno). Results Female Alteños’ growth was positively associated with household and maternal income indices. Alteños’ height averaged ∼0.8SD/∼0.6SD/∼2SDs greater than adolescents’ height in urban and rural communities measured in 1983/1998/1977, respectively. Overweight prevalence was comparable to the WHO, and lower than MESA and Puno, references. Stunting was 8.5/2.5/0.5 times WHO/MESA/Puno samples, respectively. Conclusions/Implications Both peri-urban conditions and temporal trends contributed to gains in Alteños’ growth. Rural out-migration can alleviate migrants’ poverty, partly because of more diverse economic options in urbanized communities, especially for women. Nonetheless, Alteños averaged below WHO and MESA height and weight medians. Evolved biological adaptations to environmental challenges, and the consequent variability in growth trajectories, favor using multiple growth references. Growth monitoring should be informed by community- and household-level studies to detect and understand local factors causing or alleviating health disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mecca E Burris
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University , Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | | | - Emily M Chester
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University , Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
- Evolutionary Anthropology Laboratory, Indiana University , Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Kathryn A Hicks
- Department of Anthropology, University of Memphis , Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Thomas W McDade
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University , Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Lynn Sikkink
- Department of Anthropology, Western Colorado University , Gunnison, CO 81231, USA
| | - Hilde Spielvogel
- Instituto Boliviano de Biología de Altura (IBBA) , La Paz , Bolivia
| | - Jonathan Thornburg
- Department of Astronomy & Center for Spacetime Symmetries, Indiana University , Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Virginia J Vitzthum
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University , Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
- Evolutionary Anthropology Laboratory, Indiana University , Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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8
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Niclou A, Ocobock C. Weather permitting: Increased seasonal efficiency of nonshivering thermogenesis through brown adipose tissue activation in the winter. Am J Hum Biol 2021; 34:e23716. [PMID: 34942026 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We investigated seasonal changes in brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation and metabolism in a temperate-climate Albany, NY population. METHODS Data were collected among 58 participants (21 males, 37 females, ages: 18-51) in the summer and 59 participants (23 males, 36 females, ages: 18-63) in the winter in Albany, New York. BAT activity was inferred by comparing metabolic rate, heat dissipation in the supraclavicular area, and respiratory quotient at room temperature and cold exposure. Seasonal variation in BAT was determined by comparing these measurements from summer and winter. RESULTS At mild cold exposure, heat dissipation of the supraclavicular area was significantly greater in the winter compared to summer (p < .001); however, no significant differences were found between seasons in metabolic rate measurements. This suggests BAT activation may be metabolically more efficient in the winter, due to prolonged lower seasonal temperatures relative to summer. Respiratory quotient significantly increased upon mild cold exposure in the winter compared to summer (p < .001). While carbohydrate utilization increased in the winter, fat remained the primary metabolic substrate for BAT activity across both seasons. CONCLUSION The seasonal variations in the effects of nonshivering thermogenesis on metabolic rate and substrate metabolism suggest a buffering of energy expenditure and an increased use of glucose as fuel by BAT as a result of acclimatization to cold in the winter. These findings point towards a potential role of BAT in human whole-body mediated glucose disposal and cold adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Niclou
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Cara Ocobock
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Institute for Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
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9
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Levy SB, Leonard WR. The evolutionary significance of human brown adipose tissue: Integrating the timescales of adaptation. Evol Anthropol 2021; 31:75-91. [PMID: 34910348 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
While human adaptability is regarded as a classical topic in anthropology, recent work provides new insight into metabolic adaptations to cold climates and the role of phenotypic plasticity in human evolution. A growing body of literature demonstrates that adults retain brown adipose tissue (BAT) which may play a role in non-shivering thermogenesis. In this narrative review, we apply the timescales of adaptation framework in order to explore the adaptive significance of human BAT. Human variation in BAT is shaped by multiple adaptive modes (i.e., allostasis, acclimatization, developmental adaptation, epigenetic inheritance, and genetic adaptation), and together the adaptive modes act as an integrated system. We hypothesize that plasticity in BAT facilitated the successful expansion of human populations into circumpolar regions, allowing for selection of genetic adaptations to cold climates to take place. Future research rooted in human energetics and biocultural perspectives is essential for understanding BAT's adaptive and health significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie B Levy
- Department of Anthropology, CUNY Hunter College, New York, New York, USA.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - William R Leonard
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
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10
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Watanabe M, Risi R, Tafuri MA, Silvestri V, D'Andrea D, Raimondo D, Rea S, Di Vincenzo F, Profico A, Tuccinardi D, Sciuto R, Basciani S, Mariani S, Lubrano C, Cinti S, Ottini L, Manzi G, Gnessi L. Bone density and genomic analysis unfold cold adaptation mechanisms of ancient inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23290. [PMID: 34857816 PMCID: PMC8639971 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02783-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Fuegians, ancient inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego, are an exemplary case of a cold-adapted population, since they were capable of living in extreme climatic conditions without any adequate clothing. However, the mechanisms of their extraordinary resistance to cold remain enigmatic. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays a crucial role in this kind of adaptation, besides having a protective role on the detrimental effect of low temperatures on bone structure. Skeletal remains of 12 adult Fuegians, collected in the second half of XIX century, were analyzed for bone mineral density and structure. We show that, despite the unfavorable climate, bone mineral density of Fuegians was close to that seen in modern humans living in temperate zones. Furthermore, we report significant differences between Fuegians and other cold-adapted populations in the frequency of the Homeobox protein Hox-C4 (HOXC4) rs190771160 variant, a gene involved in BAT differentiation, whose identified variant is predicted to upregulate HOXC4 expression. Greater BAT accumulation might therefore explain the Fuegians extreme cold-resistance and the protection against major cold-related damage. These results increase our understanding of how ecological challenges have been important drivers of human–environment interactions during Humankind history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikiko Watanabe
- Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Renata Risi
- Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mary Anne Tafuri
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Daniel D'Andrea
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Domenico Raimondo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Sandra Rea
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Vincenzo
- Natural History Museum-University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,Italian Institute of Human Paleontology (IsIPU), Anagni-Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Profico
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Dario Tuccinardi
- Unit of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Sciuto
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabrina Basciani
- Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Mariani
- Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Lubrano
- Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Saverio Cinti
- Center of Obesity, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - Laura Ottini
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Manzi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucio Gnessi
- Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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Sergeeva I, Kiseleva T, Pomozova V, Shkrabtak N, Frolova N, Vereshchagin A. Experimental Studies of the Effect of Schisandrachinensis Extract on the State of Adaptive Capabilities of Rats under Chronic and General Exposure to Cold. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182211780. [PMID: 34831536 PMCID: PMC8619167 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182211780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Currently, there is an objective need to create fortified food products that allow not only to provide the body with energy, but also to replenish the deficiency of essential nutrients. A generalization of the information published by Rospotrebnadzor and the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences indicates a deficiency in the diet of Russians of vitamins C, group B and β-carotene and minerals, including calcium and iron, regardless of the season of the year. The identified deviations lead to a violation of the immune status, a decrease in the body’s resistance to infections, and other unfavorable environmental factors, leading to an increase in the level of morbidity and a decrease in working capacity. The main unfavorable climatic factor that the population of the Far Eastern region has to face is low freezing temperatures. Adaptation to cold exposure is a complex process that requires a long period and may be accompanied by functional disorders and morphological changes in body tissues. In connection with the above, the problem of increasing the adaptive capabilities of a person to unfavorable environmental factors by means of correcting daily nutrition, providing the body with essential macro- and micronutrients, which is important in the prevention of possible diseases, is of particular importance. This study is aimed at assessing the effect of Schisandrachinensis extract on the adaptive capacity of rats in conditions of chronic and general cold. It was found that the extracts obtained from the fruits of Schisandra chinensis are characterized by a high content of biologically active substances. In experiments with determining the duration of running on the treadmill, a distinct act-protective effect was observed with the introduction of Schisandra chinensis extracts at a dose of 150 mg/day, against the background of reduced resistance to physical activity due to cold exposure. It was found that exposure to cold significantly reduced the swimming resistance of rats on all days of the study. The introduction of Schisandra chinensis extract into the diet led to an increase in resistance to fatigue and an increase in the duration of swimming on all days of the experiment. Conclusions: in this experimental model, a gradually increasing effect of increasing the physical performance of rats was demonstrated with prolonged (28 days) intake of the developed drinks, which coincides with the literature data on a number of other adaptogens and indicates the presence of cumulative properties of biologically active substances of Schisandra extract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Sergeeva
- Department of Technology of Food Products from Plant Raw Materials, Kemerovo State University, 650000 Kemerovo, Russia;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-3842-390-979
| | - Tatyana Kiseleva
- Department of Technology of Food Products from Plant Raw Materials, Kemerovo State University, 650000 Kemerovo, Russia;
| | - Valentina Pomozova
- Scientific and Educational Center “Technologies for Innovative Development” Ural State Economic University, 620144 Yekaterinburg, Russia;
| | - Nataliy Shkrabtak
- Department of Life Safety, Amur State University, 675000 Blagoveshchensk, Russia; (N.S.); (N.F.)
| | - Nina Frolova
- Department of Life Safety, Amur State University, 675000 Blagoveshchensk, Russia; (N.S.); (N.F.)
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12
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Ocobock C, Soppela P, Turunen M, Stenbäck V, Herzig KH, Rimbach R, Pontzer H. Reindeer herders from subarctic Finland exhibit high total energy expenditure and low energy intake during the autumn herd roundup. Am J Hum Biol 2021; 34:e23676. [PMID: 34520587 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE High levels of total energy expenditure (TEE, kcal/day) have been documented among numerous human populations such as tropical climate horticulturalists and high-altitude agriculturalists. However, less work has been conducted among highly physically active cold climate populations. METHODS In October 2018, TEE was measured using the doubly labeled water (TEEDLW , N = 10) and flex-heart rate methods (TEEHR , N = 24) for 6-14 days among reindeer herders (20-62 years) in northern Finland during an especially physically demanding, but not seasonally representative, period of the year for herders-the annual reindeer herd roundup. Self-reported dietary intake was also collected during TEE measurement periods. TEE was then compared to that of hunter gatherer, farming, and market economies. RESULTS During the herd roundup, herders expended a mean of 4183 ± 949 kcal/day as measured by the DLW method, which was not significantly different from TEEHR . Mean caloric intake was 1718 ± 709 kcal/day, and was significantly lower than TEEDLW and TEEHR (p < .001). Herder TEEDLW was significantly higher than that of hunter gatherer (p = .0014) and market (p < .0014) economy populations; however, herder TEEDLW was not different from that of farming populations (p = .91). CONCLUSION High TEE and low caloric intake among herders reflect the extreme demands placed on herders during the annual herd round up. Although TEEDLW was similar between cold climate herders and hot climate farming populations, there are likely differences in how that TEE is comprised, reflecting the local ecologies of these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara Ocobock
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.,Eck Institute for Global Health, Institute for Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Päivi Soppela
- University of Lapland, Arctic Centre, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Minna Turunen
- University of Lapland, Arctic Centre, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Ville Stenbäck
- Research Unit of Biomedicine, Medical Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.,Biocenter Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Karl-Heinz Herzig
- Research Unit of Biomedicine, Medical Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.,Institute of Pediatrics, Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Rebecca Rimbach
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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13
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Ocobock C, Lacy S, Niclou A. Between a rock and a cold place: Neanderthal biocultural cold adaptations. Evol Anthropol 2021; 30:262-279. [PMID: 33797824 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
A large body of work focuses on the unique aspects of Neanderthal anatomy, inferred physiology, and behavior to test the assumption that Neanderthals were hyper-adapted to living in cold environments. This research has expanded over the years to include previously unexplored and potentially adaptive features such as brown adipose tissue and fire-usage. Here we review the current state of knowledge of Neanderthal cold adaptations along morphological, physiological, and behavioral lines. While highlighting foundational as well as recent work, we also emphasize key areas for future research. Despite thriving in a variety of climates, it is well-accepted that Neanderthals appear to be the most cold-adapted of known fossil hominin groups; however, there are still many unknowns. There is a great deal yet to be uncovered about the nature and manifestation of Neanderthal adaptation and how the synergy of biology and culture helped buffer them against extreme and variable environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara Ocobock
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, USA.,Eck Institute for Global Health, Institute for Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, USA
| | - Sarah Lacy
- Department of Anthropology, California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, California, USA
| | - Alexandra Niclou
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, USA
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14
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Rodríguez J, Willmes C, Mateos A. Shivering in the Pleistocene. Human adaptations to cold exposure in Western Europe from MIS 14 to MIS 11. J Hum Evol 2021; 153:102966. [PMID: 33711721 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
During the mid-Middle Pleistocene MIS 14 to MIS 11, humans spread through Western Europe from the Mediterranean peninsulas to the sub-Arctic region, and they did so not only during the warm periods but also during the glacial stages. In doing so, they were exposed to harsh environmental conditions, including low or extremely low temperatures. Here we review the distribution of archeological assemblages in Western Europe from MIS 14 to MIS 11 and obtain estimates of the climatic conditions at those localities. Estimates of the mean annual temperature, mean winter and summer temperatures, and the lowest temperature of the coldest month for each locality were obtained from the Oscillayers database. Our results show that hominins endured cold exposure not only during the glacial stages but also during the interglacials, with winter temperatures below 0 °C at many localities. The efficacy of the main physiological and behavioral adaptations that might have been used by the Middle Pleistocene hominins to cope with low temperatures is evaluated using a simple heat-loss model. Our results suggest that physiological and anatomical adaptations alone, such as increasing basal metabolic rate and subcutaneous adipose tissue, were not enough to tolerate the low winter temperatures of Western Europe, even during the MIS 13 and MIS 11 interglacials. In contrast, the use of a simple fur bed cover appears to have been an extremely effective response to low temperatures. We suggest that advanced fire production and control technology were not necessary for the colonization of northern Europe during MIS 14 and MIS 12. We propose that Middle Pleistocene European populations were able to endure the low temperatures of those glacial stages combining anatomical and physiological adaptations with behavioral responses, such as the use of shelter and simple fur clothes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Rodríguez
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain
| | - Christian Willmes
- Institute of Geography, University of Cologne, 50923, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ana Mateos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain.
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15
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Kalyakulina A, Iannuzzi V, Sazzini M, Garagnani P, Jalan S, Franceschi C, Ivanchenko M, Giuliani C. Investigating Mitonuclear Genetic Interactions Through Machine Learning: A Case Study on Cold Adaptation Genes in Human Populations From Different European Climate Regions. Front Physiol 2020; 11:575968. [PMID: 33262703 PMCID: PMC7686538 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.575968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cold climates represent one of the major environmental challenges that anatomically modern humans faced during their dispersal out of Africa. The related adaptive traits have been achieved by modulation of thermogenesis and thermoregulation processes where nuclear (nuc) and mitochondrial (mt) genes play a major role. In human populations, mitonuclear genetic interactions are the result of both the peculiar genetic history of each human group and the different environments they have long occupied. This study aims to investigate mitonuclear genetic interactions by considering all the mitochondrial genes and 28 nuclear genes involved in brown adipose tissue metabolism, which have been previously hypothesized to be crucial for cold adaptation. For this purpose, we focused on three human populations (i.e., Finnish, British, and Central Italian people) of European ancestry from different biogeographical and climatic areas, and we used a machine learning approach to identify relevant nucDNA–mtDNA interactions that characterized each population. The obtained results are twofold: (i) at the methodological level, we demonstrated that a machine learning approach is able to detect patterns of genetic structure among human groups from different latitudes both at single genes and by considering combinations of mtDNA and nucDNA loci; (ii) at the biological level, the analysis identified population-specific nuclear genes and variants that likely play a relevant biological role in association with a mitochondrial gene (such as the “obesity gene” FTO in Finnish people). Further studies are needed to fully elucidate the evolutionary dynamics (e.g., migration, admixture, and/or local adaptation) that shaped these nucDNA–mtDNA interactions and their functional role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena Kalyakulina
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Institute of Information Technologies, Mathematics and Mechanics, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Vincenzo Iannuzzi
- Alma Mater Research Institute on Global Challenges and Climate Change (Alma Climate), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology and Centre for Genome Biology, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marco Sazzini
- Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology and Centre for Genome Biology, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Garagnani
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sarika Jalan
- Complex Systems Laboratory, Discipline of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India.,Center for Theoretical Physics of Complex Systems, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Claudio Franceschi
- Laboratory of Systems Medicine of Healthy Aging, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Mikhail Ivanchenko
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Institute of Information Technologies, Mathematics and Mechanics, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.,Laboratory of Systems Medicine of Healthy Aging, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Cristina Giuliani
- Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology and Centre for Genome Biology, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara Ocobock
- Department of Anthropology University Notre Dame Notre Dame IN 46556 USA
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17
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Robbins A, Tom CATMB, Cosman MN, Moursi C, Shipp L, Spencer TM, Brash T, Devlin MJ. Low temperature decreases bone mass in mice: Implications for humans. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 167:557-568. [PMID: 30187469 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Humans exhibit significant ecogeographic variation in bone size and shape. However, it is unclear how significantly environmental temperature influences cortical and trabecular bone, making it difficult to recognize adaptation versus acclimatization in past populations. There is some evidence that cold-induced bone loss results from sympathetic nervous system activation and can be reduced by nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) via uncoupling protein (UCP1) in brown adipose tissue (BAT). Here we test two hypotheses: (1) low temperature induces impaired cortical and trabecular bone acquisition and (2) UCP1, a marker of NST in BAT, increases in proportion to degree of low-temperature exposure. METHODS We housed wildtype C57BL/6J male mice in pairs at 26 °C (thermoneutrality), 22 °C (standard), and 20 °C (cool) from 3 weeks to 6 or 12 weeks of age with access to food and water ad libitum (N = 8/group). RESULTS Cool housed mice ate more but had lower body fat at 20 °C versus 26 °C. Mice at 20 °C had markedly lower distal femur trabecular bone volume fraction, thickness, and connectivity density and lower midshaft femur cortical bone area fraction versus mice at 26 °C (p < .05 for all). UCP1 expression in BAT was inversely related to temperature. DISCUSSION These results support the hypothesis that low temperature was detrimental to bone mass acquisition. Nonshivering thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue increased in proportion to low-temperature exposure but was insufficient to prevent bone loss. These data show that chronic exposure to low temperature impairs bone architecture, suggesting climate may contribute to phenotypic variation in humans and other hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Robbins
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | - Miranda N Cosman
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Cleo Moursi
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Lillian Shipp
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Taylor M Spencer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Timothy Brash
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Maureen J Devlin
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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García-Martínez D, Torres-Tamayo N, Torres-Sánchez I, García-Río F, Rosas A, Bastir M. Ribcage measurements indicate greater lung capacity in Neanderthals and Lower Pleistocene hominins compared to modern humans. Commun Biol 2018; 1:117. [PMID: 30271997 PMCID: PMC6123625 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0125-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Our most recent fossil relatives, the Neanderthals, had a large brain and a very heavy body compared to modern humans. This type of body requires high levels of energetic intake. While food (meat and fat consumption) is a source of energy, oxygen via respiration is also necessary for metabolism. We would therefore expect Neanderthals to have large respiratory capacities. Here we estimate the pulmonary capacities of Neanderthals, based on costal measurements and physiological data from a modern human comparative sample. The Kebara 2 male had a lung volume of about 9.04 l; Tabun C1, a female individual, a lung volume of 5.85 l; and a Neanderthal from the El Sidrón site, a lung volume of 9.03 l. These volumes are approximately 20% greater than the corresponding volumes of modern humans of the same body size and sex. These results show that the Neanderthal body was highly sensitive to energy supply. Daniel García-Martínez et al. report Neanderthal lung volume estimates based on measurements from rib bone fossils and lung capacity data from modern humans. They estimate that Neanderthal individuals had approximately 20% higher lung capacity than modern humans, possibly due to higher energy requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel García-Martínez
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Nicole Torres-Tamayo
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Torres-Sánchez
- Hospital Universitario La Paz, Biomedical Research Institute (IdiPAZ), 28046, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco García-Río
- Hospital Universitario La Paz, Biomedical Research Institute (IdiPAZ), 28046, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Rosas
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Markus Bastir
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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Payne S, Kumar BC R, Pomeroy E, Macintosh A, Stock J. Thrifty phenotype versus cold adaptation: trade-offs in upper limb proportions of Himalayan populations of Nepal. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:172174. [PMID: 30110416 PMCID: PMC6030304 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.172174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The multi-stress environment of high altitude has been associated with growth deficits in humans, particularly in zeugopod elements (forearm and lower leg). This is consistent with the thrifty phenotype hypothesis, which has been observed in Andeans, but has yet to be tested in other high-altitude populations. In Himalayan populations, other factors, such as cold stress, may shape limb proportions. The current study investigated whether relative upper limb proportions of Himalayan adults (n = 254) differ between highland and lowland populations, and whether cold adaptation or a thrifty phenotype mechanism may be acting here. Height, weight, humerus length, ulna length, hand length and hand width were measured using standard methods. Relative to height, total upper limb and ulna lengths were significantly shorter in highlanders compared with lowlanders in both sexes, while hand and humerus length were not. Hand width did not significantly differ between populations. These results support the thrifty phenotype hypothesis, as hand and humerus proportions are conserved at the expense of the ulna. The reduction in relative ulna length could be attributed to cold adaptation, but the lack of difference between populations in both hand length and width indicates that cold adaptation is not shaping hand proportions in this case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Payne
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Emma Pomeroy
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Alison Macintosh
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jay Stock
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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20
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Pomeroy E, Macintosh A, Wells JC, Cole TJ, Stock JT. Relationship between body mass, lean mass, fat mass, and limb bone cross-sectional geometry: Implications for estimating body mass and physique from the skeleton. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:56-69. [PMID: 29344931 PMCID: PMC6178563 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Estimating body mass from skeletal dimensions is widely practiced, but methods for estimating its components (lean and fat mass) are poorly developed. The ability to estimate these characteristics would offer new insights into the evolution of body composition and its variation relative to past and present health. This study investigates the potential of long bone cross-sectional properties as predictors of body, lean, and fat mass. MATERIALS AND METHODS Humerus, femur and tibia midshaft cross-sectional properties were measured by peripheral quantitative computed tomography in sample of young adult women (n = 105) characterized by a range of activity levels. Body composition was estimated from bioimpedance analysis. RESULTS Lean mass correlated most strongly with both upper and lower limb bone properties (r values up to 0.74), while fat mass showed weak correlations (r ≤ 0.29). Estimation equations generated from tibial midshaft properties indicated that lean mass could be estimated relatively reliably, with some improvement using logged data and including bone length in the models (minimum standard error of estimate = 8.9%). Body mass prediction was less reliable and fat mass only poorly predicted (standard errors of estimate ≥11.9% and >33%, respectively). DISCUSSION Lean mass can be predicted more reliably than body mass from limb bone cross-sectional properties. The results highlight the potential for studying evolutionary trends in lean mass from skeletal remains, and have implications for understanding the relationship between bone morphology and body mass or composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Pomeroy
- School of Natural Sciences and PsychologyLiverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpool, L3 3AFUnited Kingdom
| | - Alison Macintosh
- ADaPt Project, PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology and AnthropologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridge, CB2 3QGUnited Kingdom
| | - Jonathan C.K. Wells
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthLondon, WC1N 1EHUnited Kingdom
| | - Tim J. Cole
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthLondon, WC1N 1EHUnited Kingdom
| | - Jay T. Stock
- ADaPt Project, PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology and AnthropologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridge, CB2 3QGUnited Kingdom
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Western OntarioLondonOntario, N6A 3K7Canada
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21
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Payne S, Macintosh A, Stock J. The thermoregulatory function of the human hand: How do palm and digit proportions affect heat loss? AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:803-811. [PMID: 29603137 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The current study assessed whether ecogeographical patterns seen in hand proportions correlate with heat loss directly. Using a brief severe cold immersion experiment on the hand, the influence of hand and digit dimensions on heat loss was evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS A sample of 113 living individuals were tested. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional scanning techniques were used to assess hand and digit dimensions. Thermal imaging analysis was used to quantify heat loss during a 3-min ice-water immersion of the hands. RESULTS When body size was accounted for, hand width and digit length relative to total hand length were significant predictors of heat loss from the hand. DISCUSSION The current study provides empirical evidence to support the link between thermodynamic principles relating to surface area-to-volume ratio, and ecogeographical patterns associated with temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Payne
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3EX, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Macintosh
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3EX, United Kingdom
| | - Jay Stock
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3EX, United Kingdom.,Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C2, Canada
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22
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Leonard WR. Centennial perspective on human adaptability. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 165:813-833. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William R. Leonard
- Department of Anthropology; Northwestern University; Evanston Illinois 60208
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23
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Payne S, Macintosh A, Stock J. Body size and body composition effects on heat loss from the hands during severe cold exposure. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:313-322. [PMID: 29430626 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study investigated the influence of body size and composition on maintaining hand temperature during severe cold exposure. The hand's high surface area-to-volume ratio predisposes the hand to heat loss, increasing the risk of cold injury and even hypothermia, which are major selective pressures in cold environments. While vasoregulation may reduce heat loss from the hand, the effect of body form, tissue thermogenesis, and body insulation on heat loss is unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thermal imaging was used to determine heat loss during a 3-min ice-water hand immersion test carried out on 114 volunteers (female = 63, male = 51). Established anthropometric measures were used to quantify body size, and bioelectrical impedance analysis determined skeletal muscle and fat mass. RESULTS Skeletal muscle mass relative to body mass was a highly significant predictor of heat loss, while body mass, fat mass, and stature were not. Body composition and body size had little to no significant influence during rewarming after immersion. DISCUSSION The thermogenic properties of muscle mass support maintenance of hand temperature during severe cold exposure. The findings here suggest that muscular individuals are less susceptible to heat loss and cold injury, and may be better at manual tasks in cold conditions than nonmuscular individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Payne
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3EX, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Macintosh
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3EX, United Kingdom
| | - Jay Stock
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3EX, United Kingdom.,Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C2, Canada
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25
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Ocobock CJ. Body fat attenuates muscle mass catabolism among physically active humans in temperate and cold high altitude environments. Am J Hum Biol 2017; 29. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
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Turbon D, Arenas C, Cuadras CM. Fueguian crania and the circum-Pacific rim variation. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 163:295-316. [PMID: 28374500 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2016] [Revised: 02/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Fueguians are descendants of the first settlers of America, a 'relict' isolated geographically for 10,000 years. We compared their cranial variation with other Americans, and samples from Asia and Australia to know whether the modern extinct Fueguians can be considered Paleoamericans or not. MATERIALS AND METHODS Herein we study 176 Fuego-Patagonian skulls, the largest cranial sample to be studied, refined and well documented, using CVA, and the D2 of Mahalanobis. The affinities between populations and sexual dimorphism were jointly studied. RESULTS Terrestrial hunters (Selknam) have a different cranial morphology from sea canoeists (Yamana, Alakaluf) particularly with regard to cranial size and robustness. In the American context, there are extreme differences between the canoeists of Santa Cruz (California) and the Eskimos and canoeists of Fuego-Patagonia in terms of cranial size, prognathism and development of the frontal region. Fueguian canoeists are cranially closer to the Californian ones than to their Fueguian neighbors, the Selknam. Our results favor the hypothesis of two different flows for the origin of the first populators of Tierra del Fuego. DISCUSSION We concluded that the robusticity of some Fuegians (Selknam) might be the result of an allometric pattern of overall robusticity expression well as a result of epigenetics or differential reproduction (Larsen, 2015:264) or hypothetical endocrine changes (Bernal et al. in Am J Hum Biol 2006;18:748-765). When compared with three Australian-Melanesian series, the group comprising Amerindians, Ainu, and Eskimos clusters together as they are all extremely different from the former in terms of both cranial size and shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Turbon
- Zoology and Anthropology Section, Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Avda Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - C Arenas
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Avda Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - C M Cuadras
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Avda Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
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27
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MacDonald K. The use of fire and human distribution. Temperature (Austin) 2017; 4:153-165. [PMID: 28680931 DOI: 10.1080/23328940.2017.1284637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans today live in a wide range of environments from the iciest to the hottest, thanks to diverse cultural solutions that buffer temperature extremes. The prehistory of this relationship between human distribution, cultural solutions and temperature conditions may help us to understand the evolution of human biological adaptations to cold temperature. Fire has long been seen as an important factor in human evolution and range expansion, particularly into temperate latitudes. Nevertheless, the earliest evidence for hominin presence in Eurasia, and middle latitudes in northern Europe, substantially predates convincing evidence for fire use in these regions. This review outlines the current state of knowledge of the chronology of hominin dispersal into temperate latitudes, from the earliest occupants to our own species, and the archeological evidence for fire use. Given continuing disagreement about this chronology and limitations to the archeological evidence, new, complementary approaches are worthwhile and would benefit from information from studies of current human temperature regulation.
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28
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Microenvironmental Control of Adipocyte Fate and Function. Trends Cell Biol 2016; 26:745-755. [PMID: 27268909 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2016.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The properties of tissue-specific microenvironments vary widely in the human body and demonstrably influence the structure and function of many cell types. Adipocytes are no exception, responding to cues in specialized niches to perform vital metabolic and endocrine functions. The adipose microenvironment is remodeled during tissue expansion to maintain the structural and functional integrity of the tissue and disrupted remodeling in obesity contributes to the progression of metabolic syndrome, breast cancer, and other malignancies. The increasing incidence of these obesity-related diseases and the recent focus on improved in vitro models of human tissue biology underscore growing interest in the regulatory role of adipocyte microenvironments in health and disease.
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29
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Khatun A, Ashikaga S, Nagano H, Hasib MA, Taimura A. Cold-induced vasodilation comparison between Bangladeshi and Japanese natives. J Physiol Anthropol 2016; 35:13. [PMID: 27141944 PMCID: PMC4855807 DOI: 10.1186/s40101-016-0095-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The human thermoregulation system responds to changes in environmental temperature, so humans can self-adapt to a wide range of climates. People from tropical and temperate areas have different cold tolerance. This study compared the tolerance of Bangladeshi (tropical) and Japanese (temperate) people to local cold exposure on cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD). Methods Eight Bangladeshi males (now residing in Japan) and 14 Japanese males (residing in Japan) participated in this study. All are sedentary, regular university students. The Bangladeshi subject’s duration of stay in Japan was 2.50 ± 2.52 years. The subject’s left hand middle finger was immersed in 5 °C water for 20 min to assess their CIVD response (the experiment was conducted in an artificial climate chamber controlled at 25 °C with 50 % RH). Results Compared with the Bangladeshi (BD) group, the Japanese (JP) group displayed some differences. There were significant differences between the BD and JP groups in temperature before immersion (TBI), which were 33.04 ± 1.98 and 34.62 ± 0.94 °C, and time of temperature rise (TTR), which were 5.35 ± 0.82 and 3.72 ± 0.68 min, respectively. There was also a significant difference in the time of sensation rise (TSR) of 8.69 ± 6.49 and 3.26 ± 0.97 min between the BD and JP groups, respectively (P < 0.05). Moreover, the JP group showed a quick TTR after finishing immersion. Conclusions The Japanese group (temperate) has a higher tolerance to local cold exposure than the Bangladeshi group (tropical) evaluated by the CIVD test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aklima Khatun
- Graduate school of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki, 852-8521, Japan
| | - Sakura Ashikaga
- Graduate school of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki, 852-8521, Japan
| | - Hisaho Nagano
- Graduate school of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki, 852-8521, Japan
| | - Md Abdul Hasib
- Graduate School of Engineering, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki, 852-8521, Japan
| | - Akihiro Taimura
- Graduate school of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki, 852-8521, Japan.
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Daanen HAM, Van Marken Lichtenbelt WD. Human whole body cold adaptation. Temperature (Austin) 2016; 3:104-18. [PMID: 27227100 PMCID: PMC4861193 DOI: 10.1080/23328940.2015.1135688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Reviews on whole body human cold adaptation generally do not distinguish between population studies and dedicated acclimation studies, leading to confusing results. Population studies show that indigenous black Africans have reduced shivering thermogenesis in the cold and poor cold induced vasodilation in fingers and toes compared to Caucasians and Inuit. About 40,000 y after humans left Africa, natives in cold terrestrial areas seems to have developed not only behavioral adaptations, but also physiological adaptations to cold. Dedicated studies show that repeated whole body exposure of individual volunteers, mainly Caucasians, to severe cold results in reduced cold sensation but no major physiological changes. Repeated cold water immersion seems to slightly reduce metabolic heat production, while repeated exposure to milder cold conditions shows some increase in metabolic heat production, in particular non-shivering thermogenesis. In conclusion, human cold adaptation in the form of increased metabolism and insulation seems to have occurred during recent evolution in populations, but cannot be developed during a lifetime in cold conditions as encountered in temperate and arctic regions. Therefore, we mainly depend on our behavioral skills to live in and survive the cold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hein A M Daanen
- MOVE Research Institute, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; TNO, Soesterberg, The Netherlands; Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter D Van Marken Lichtenbelt
- Department of Human Biology/Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University , The Netherlands
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31
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Ocobock C. The allocation and interaction model: A new model for predicting total energy expenditure of highly active humans in natural environments. Am J Hum Biol 2015; 28:372-80. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Revised: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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Rosinger A. Heat and hydration status: Predictors of repeated measures of urine specific gravity among Tsimane’ adults in the Bolivian Amazon. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Asher Rosinger
- Department of Anthropology; University of Georgia; Athens GA 30602
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Nishimura T, Motoi M, Egashira Y, Choi D, Aoyagi K, Watanuki S. Seasonal variation of non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) during mild cold exposure. J Physiol Anthropol 2015; 34:11. [PMID: 25858699 PMCID: PMC4364327 DOI: 10.1186/s40101-015-0051-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The physiological function of non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) has been investigated in recent years, and some studies have discussed the importance of NST with respect to human cold adaptation. The present study aimed to clarify individual and seasonal variations in NST that occurred as a result of mild cold exposure. Methods Seventeen male university students participated in the present study during summer and winter. The climate chamber used was programmed so that ambient temperature dropped from 28°C to 16°C over an 80-min period. Physiological parameters of test subjects were recorded during the experiments. Results Increases in oxygen intake (VO2) during cold exposure were significantly greater without shivering in winter than they were in summer. Respiratory exchange ratio (RER) was significantly lower during thermoneutral baseline and cold exposure in winter than it was during the same periods in summer. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between ΔVO2 and ΔRER. Conclusions Increase of VO2 without shivering indicated increase of NST, and decrease of RER depends on the metabolization of fat in winter. These results suggested that NST activity was activated by seasonal acclimatization, and individual variation of NST depends on individual variation of fat metabolism.
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Climate, vocal folds, and tonal languages: Connecting the physiological and geographic dots. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:1322-7. [PMID: 25605876 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1417413112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We summarize a number of findings in laryngology demonstrating that perturbations of phonation, including increased jitter and shimmer, are associated with desiccated ambient air. We predict that, given the relative imprecision of vocal fold vibration in desiccated versus humid contexts, arid and cold ecologies should be less amenable, when contrasted to warm and humid ecologies, to the development of languages with phonemic tone, especially complex tone. This prediction is supported by data from two large independently coded databases representing 3,700+ languages. Languages with complex tonality have generally not developed in very cold or otherwise desiccated climates, in accordance with the physiologically based predictions. The predicted global geographic-linguistic association is shown to operate within continents, within major language families, and across language isolates. Our results offer evidence that human sound systems are influenced by environmental factors.
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Abstract
Environmental temperature can have a surprising impact on extremity growth in homeotherms, but the underlying mechanisms have remained elusive for over a century. Limbs of animals raised at warm ambient temperature are significantly and permanently longer than those of littermates housed at cooler temperature. These remarkably consistent lab results closely resemble the ecogeographical tenet described by Allen's "extremity size rule," that appendage length correlates with temperature and latitude. This phenotypic growth plasticity could have adaptive significance for thermal physiology. Shortened extremities help retain body heat in cold environments by decreasing surface area for potential heat loss. Homeotherms have evolved complex mechanisms to maintain tightly regulated internal temperatures in challenging environments, including "facultative extremity heterothermy" in which limb temperatures can parallel ambient. Environmental modulation of tissue temperature can have direct and immediate consequences on cell proliferation, metabolism, matrix production, and mineralization in cartilage. Temperature can also indirectly influence cartilage growth by modulating circulating levels and delivery routes of essential hormones and paracrine regulators. Using an integrated approach, this article synthesizes classic studies with new data that shed light on the basis and significance of this enigmatic growth phenomenon and its relevance for treating human bone elongation disorders. Discussion centers on the vasculature as a gateway to understanding the complex interconnection between direct (local) and indirect (systemic) mechanisms of temperature-enhanced bone lengthening. Recent advances in imaging modalities that enable the dynamic study of cartilage growth plates in vivo will be key to elucidating fundamental physiological mechanisms of long bone growth regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Serrat
- Department of Anatomy and Pathology, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia
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36
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Devlin MJ. The “Skinny” on brown fat, obesity, and bone. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2014; 156 Suppl 59:98-115. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maureen J. Devlin
- Department of Anthropology; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor MI 48104
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37
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Brewis AA, Mckenna JJ. Translating human biology (introduction to special issue). Am J Hum Biol 2014; 27:1-5. [PMID: 25339595 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Revised: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Introducing a special issue on "Translating Human Biology," we pose two basic questions: Is human biology addressing the most critical challenges facing our species? How can the processes of translating our science be improved and innovated? METHODS We analyze articles published in American Journal of Human Biology from 2004-2013, and find there is very little human biological consideration of issues related to most of the core human challenges such as water, energy, environmental degradation, or conflict. There is some focus on disease, and considerable focus on food/nutrition. We then introduce this special volume with reference to the following articles that provide exemplars for the process of how translation and concern for broader context and impacts can be integrated into research. CONCLUSIONS Human biology has significant unmet potential to engage more fully in translation for the public good, through consideration of the topics we focus on, the processes of doing our science, and the way we present our domain expertise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra A Brewis
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
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Nishimura T, Watanuki S. Relationship between mitochondrial haplogroup and seasonal changes of physiological responses to cold. J Physiol Anthropol 2014; 33:27. [PMID: 25183371 PMCID: PMC4169230 DOI: 10.1186/1880-6805-33-27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Physiological responses to cold exhibit individual variation that can be affected by various factors, such as morphological characteristics, seasonal changes, and lifestyle; however, the genetic factors associated with this variation remain unclear. Recent studies have identified mtDNA as a potential genetic factor affecting cold adaptation. In addition, non-shivering thermogenesis (NST), a process closely related to mitochondrial dynamics, has also been suggested as an important factor affecting human response to cold. The present study aimed to clarify the relationship between mitochondrial haplogroup and NST during periods of mild cold exposure. Methods Seventeen healthy university students (D: n = 8, non-D: n = 9) participated in the present study during summer and winter. A climate chamber was programmed so that ambient temperature inside dropped from 28°C to 16°C over the course of an 80-minute period. Physiological parameters were recorded throughout the course of the experiments. Results Increases in VO2 were significantly greater during periods of cold exposure in winter than they were during periods of cold exposure in summer, and individuals from the D group exhibited greater winter values of ΔVO2 than individuals from the non-D group. Tre was significantly lower during periods of rest and cold exposure in winter; however, no significant difference was observed between Tre values of individuals in the D and non-D groups. In addition, although
T¯dist was significantly lower during periods of rest in winter than it was during those same periods in summer, no significant seasonal differences in values of
T¯dist were observed during periods of cold exposure. Conclusions Results of the present study indicated that NST was greater in winter, and that the D group exhibited greater NST than the non-D group during winter. Despite the differences between groups in NST, no significant differences in rectal and skin temperatures were found between groups in either season. Therefore, it was supposed that mitochondrial DNA haplogroups had a greater effect on variation in energy expenditure involving NST than they had on insulative responses. Future studies are necessary in order to investigate more multiple candidate genes related to human cold adaptation and to elucidate the relationship between gene polymorphism and physiological polytypism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Nishimura
- Department of Public Health, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
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Sazzini M, Schiavo G, De Fanti S, Martelli PL, Casadio R, Luiselli D. Searching for signatures of cold adaptations in modern and archaic humans: hints from the brown adipose tissue genes. Heredity (Edinb) 2014; 113:259-67. [PMID: 24667833 PMCID: PMC4815638 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2014.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Revised: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptation to low temperatures has been reasonably developed in the human species during the colonization of the Eurasian landmass subsequent to Out of Africa migrations of anatomically modern humans. In addition to morphological and cultural changes, also metabolic ones are supposed to have favored human isolation from cold and body heat production and this can be hypothesized also for most Neandertal and at least for some Denisovan populations, which lived in geographical areas that strongly experienced the last glacial period. Modulation of non-shivering thermogenesis, for which adipocytes belonging to the brown adipose tissue are the most specialized cells, might have driven these metabolic adaptations. To perform an exploratory analysis aimed at looking into this hypothesis, variation at 28 genes involved in such functional pathway was investigated in modern populations from different climate zones, as well as in Neandertal and Denisovan genomes. Patterns of variation at the LEPR gene, strongly related to increased heat dissipation by mitochondria, appeared to have been shaped by positive selection in modern East Asians, but not in Europeans. Moreover, a single potentially cold-adapted LEPR allele, different from the supposed adaptive one identified in Homo sapiens, was found also in Neandertal and Denisovan genomes. These findings suggest that independent mechanisms for cold adaptations might have been developed in different non-African human groups, as well as that the evolution of possible enhanced thermal efficiency in Neandertals and in some Denisovan populations has plausibly entailed significant changes also in other functional pathways than in the examined one.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sazzini
- Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Centre for Genome Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - G Schiavo
- Department of Agro-Food Technologies, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - S De Fanti
- Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Centre for Genome Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - P L Martelli
- Centre for Genome Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Biocomputing Group, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - R Casadio
- Centre for Genome Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Biocomputing Group, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - D Luiselli
- Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Centre for Genome Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Tan CY, Ishikawa K, Virtue S, Vidal-Puig A. Brown adipose tissue in the treatment of obesity and diabetes: Are we hot enough? J Diabetes Investig 2014; 2:341-50. [PMID: 24843510 PMCID: PMC4019299 DOI: 10.1111/j.2040-1124.2011.00158.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The identification of functional brown adipose tissue in human adults has intensified interest in exploiting thermogenic energy expenditure for the purpose of weight management. However, food intake and energy expenditure are tightly regulated and it is generally accepted that variation in one component results in compensatory changes in the other. In the context of weight loss, additional biological adaptations occur in an attempt to further limit weight loss. In the present review, we discuss the relationship between increasing energy expenditure and body weight in humans, including the effects of cold exposure. The data raise the possibility that some processes, particularly those involved in thermogenesis, induce less compensatory food intake for a given magnitude of additional energy expenditure, a state we term the ‘thermogenic disconnect’. Although cold exposure increases thermogenesis and can putatively be exploited to induce weight loss, there are multiple adaptive responses to cold, of which many actually reduce energy expenditure. In order to optimally exploit either cold itself or agents that mimic cold for thermogenic energy expenditure, these non‐thermogenic cold responses must be considered. Finally, the relative contribution of brown adipose tissue vs other thermogenic processes in humans remains to be defined. However, overall the data suggest that activation of cold‐induced thermogenic processes are promising targets for interventions to treat obesity and its secondary metabolic complications. (J Diabetes Invest, doi:10.1111/j.2040‐1124.2011.00158.x, 2011)
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Yew Tan
- Metabolic Research Laboratories, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ko Ishikawa
- Metabolic Research Laboratories, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Samuel Virtue
- Metabolic Research Laboratories, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
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41
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Serrat MA. Allen's Rule Revisited: Temperature Influences Bone Elongation During a Critical Period of Postnatal Development. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2013; 296:1534-45. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.22763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria A. Serrat
- Department of Anatomy and Pathology; Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine; Marshall University; Huntington West Virginia
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42
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Sevostyanova YV. SOME FEATURES OF HUMAN LIPID AND CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM IN THE NORTH. BULLETIN OF SIBERIAN MEDICINE 2013. [DOI: 10.20538/1682-0363-2013-1-] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ye. V. Sevostyanova
- FSBI Scientific Center of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Academy of Medical Sciences of SB RAMS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
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43
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Yokoya M, Shimizu H, Higuchi Y. Geographical distribution of adolescent body height with respect to effective day length in Japan: an ecological analysis. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50994. [PMID: 23227226 PMCID: PMC3515496 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2012] [Accepted: 09/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The height of Japanese youth raised in the northern region tends to be greater than that of youth raised in the southern region; therefore, a geographical gradient in youth body height exists. Although this gradient has existed for about 100 years, the reasons for it remain unclear. Consideration of the nutritional improvement, economic growth, and intense migration that has occurred in this period indicates that it is probably the result of environmental rather than nutritional or genetic factors. To identify possible environmental factors, ecological analysis of prefecture-level data on the body size of 8- to 17-year-old youth averaged over a 13-year period (1996 to 2008) and Japanese mesh climatic data on the climatic variables of temperature, solar radiation, and effective day length (duration of photoperiod exceeding the threshold of light intensity) was performed. The geographical distribution of the standardized height of Japanese adolescents was found to be inversely correlated to a great extent with the distribution of effective day length at a light intensity greater than 4000 lx. The results of multiple regression analysis of effective day length, temperature, and weight (as an index of food intake) indicated that a combination of effective day length and weight was statistically significant as predictors of height in early adolescence; however, only effective day length was statistically significant as a predictor of height in late adolescence. Day length may affect height by affecting the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that inhibits sexual and skeletal maturation, which in turn induces increases in height. By affecting melatonin production, regional differences in the duration of the photoperiod may lead to regional differences in height. Exposure to light intensity greater than 4000 lx appears to be the threshold at which light intensity begins to affect the melatonin secretion of humans who spend much of their time indoors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masana Yokoya
- Shimonoseki Junior College, 1-1 Sakurayama-cho, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan.
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NISHIMURA TAKAYUKI, MOTOI MIDORI, HOSHI YOSHIKAZU, KONDO RYUICHIRO, WATANUKI SHIGEKI. Relationship between mitochondrial haplogroup and psychophysiological responses during cold exposure in a Japanese population. ANTHROPOL SCI 2011. [DOI: 10.1537/ase.101009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - MIDORI MOTOI
- Graduate School of Integrated Frontier Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
| | | | - RYUICHIRO KONDO
- Department of Forest and Forest Products Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
| | - SHIGEKI WATANUKI
- Depertment of Human Science, Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
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Walker MJ, Ortega J, López MV, Parmová K, Trinkaus E. Neandertal postcranial remains from the Sima de las Palomas del Cabezo Gordo, Murcia, southeastern Spain. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2010; 144:505-15. [PMID: 21404228 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2010] [Accepted: 09/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The Sima de las Palomas, southeastern Spain, has yielded a series of Neandertal postcranial remains, including immature and mature isolated elements and the fragmentary partial skeleton of a young adult (Palomas 92). The remains largely conform to the general late archaic/Neandertal morphological pattern in terms of humeral diaphyseal shape, pectoralis major tuberosity size and pillar thickness, ulnar coronoid process height, manual middle phalangeal epiphyseal breadth, manual distal phalangeal tuberosity shape and breadth, femoral diaphyseal shape, and probably body proportions. Palomas 92 contrasts with the Neandertals in having variably gracile hand remains, a more sellar trapezial metacarpal 1 facet, more anteroposteriorly expanded mid-proximal femoral diaphysis, and less robust pedal proximal phalanges. The Palomas Neandertals contrast with more northern European Neandertals particularly in various reflections of overall body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Walker
- Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Biología, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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Siervo M, Wells JCK, Cizza G. The contribution of psychosocial stress to the obesity epidemic: an evolutionary approach. Horm Metab Res 2009; 41:261-70. [PMID: 19156597 PMCID: PMC2703181 DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1119377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The Thrifty Gene hypothesis theorizes that during evolution a set of genes has been selected to ensure survival in environments with limited food supply and marked seasonality. Contemporary environments have predictable and unlimited food availability, an attenuated seasonality due to artificial lighting, indoor heating during the winter and air conditioning during the summer, and promote sedentariness and overeating. In this setting the thrifty genes are constantly activated to enhance energy storage. Psychosocial stress and sleep deprivation are other features of modern societies. Stress-induced hypercortisolemia in the setting of unlimited food supply promotes adiposity. Modern man is becoming obese because these ancient mechanisms are efficiently promoting a positive energy balance. We propose that in today's plentifully provisioned societies, where sedentariness and mental stress have become typical traits, chronic activation of the neuroendocrine systems may contribute to the increased prevalence of obesity. We suggest that some of the yet unidentified thrifty genes may be linked to highly conserved energy sensing mechanisms (AMP kinase, mTOR kinase). These hypotheses are testable. Rural societies that are becoming rapidly industrialized and are witnessing a dramatic increase in obesity may provide a historical opportunity to conduct epidemiological studies of the thrifty genotype. In experimental settings, the effects of various forms of psychosocial stress in increasing metabolic efficiency and gene expression can be further tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Siervo
- Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - J. C. K. Wells
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - G. Cizza
- Clinical Endocrinology Branch, NIDDK, National Institute of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Temperature regulates limb length in homeotherms by directly modulating cartilage growth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:19348-53. [PMID: 19047632 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0803319105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Allen's Rule documents a century-old biological observation that strong positive correlations exist among latitude, ambient temperature, and limb length in mammals. Although genetic selection for thermoregulatory adaptation is frequently presumed to be the primary basis of this phenomenon, important but frequently overlooked research has shown that appendage outgrowth is also markedly influenced by environmental temperature. Alteration of limb blood flow via vasoconstriction/vasodilation is the current default hypothesis for this growth plasticity, but here we show that tissue perfusion does not fully account for differences in extremity elongation in mice. We show that peripheral tissue temperature closely reflects housing temperature in vivo, and we demonstrate that chondrocyte proliferation and extracellular matrix volume strongly correlate with tissue temperature in metatarsals cultured without vasculature in vitro. Taken together, these data suggest that vasomotor changes likely modulate extremity growth indirectly, via their effects on appendage temperature, rather than vascular nutrient delivery. When combined with classic evolutionary theory, especially genetic assimilation, these results provide a potentially comprehensive explanation of Allen's Rule, and may substantially impact our understanding of phenotypic variation in living and extinct mammals, including humans.
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