1
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Spake L, Hassan A, Schaffnit SB, Alam N, Amoah AS, Badjie J, Cerami C, Crampin A, Dube A, Kaye MP, Kotch R, Liew F, McLean E, Munthali-Mkandawire S, Mwalwanda L, Petersen AC, Prentice AM, Zohora FT, Watts J, Sear R, Shenk MK, Sosis R, Shaver JH. A practical guide to cross-cultural and multi-sited data collection in the biological and behavioural sciences. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20231422. [PMID: 38654647 PMCID: PMC11040250 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1422] [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: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Researchers in the biological and behavioural sciences are increasingly conducting collaborative, multi-sited projects to address how phenomena vary across ecologies. These types of projects, however, pose additional workflow challenges beyond those typically encountered in single-sited projects. Through specific attention to cross-cultural research projects, we highlight four key aspects of multi-sited projects that must be considered during the design phase to ensure success: (1) project and team management; (2) protocol and instrument development; (3) data management and documentation; and (4) equitable and collaborative practices. Our recommendations are supported by examples from our experiences collaborating on the Evolutionary Demography of Religion project, a mixed-methods project collecting data across five countries in collaboration with research partners in each host country. To existing discourse, we contribute new recommendations around team and project management, introduce practical recommendations for exploring the validity of instruments through qualitative techniques during piloting, highlight the importance of good documentation at all steps of the project, and demonstrate how data management workflows can be strengthened through open science practices. While this project was rooted in cross-cultural human behavioural ecology and evolutionary anthropology, lessons learned from this project are applicable to multi-sited research across the biological and behavioural sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Spake
- Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Anushé Hassan
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Nurul Alam
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Abena S. Amoah
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jainaba Badjie
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (MRCG@LSHTM), Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Carla Cerami
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (MRCG@LSHTM), Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Amelia Crampin
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
- University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Albert Dube
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Miranda P. Kaye
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Renee Kotch
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Frankie Liew
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Estelle McLean
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | | | - Lusako Mwalwanda
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | | | - Andrew M. Prentice
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (MRCG@LSHTM), Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Fatema tuz Zohora
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Joseph Watts
- University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Rebecca Sear
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Mary K. Shenk
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - John H. Shaver
- University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
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2
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Scelza BA. The cuckoldry conundrum. Evol Anthropol 2024:e22023. [PMID: 38340074 DOI: 10.1002/evan.22023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Concerns about cuckoldry are a dominant theme in evolutionary studies of mating, frequently used to explain sex differences in reproductive strategies. However, studies in nonhuman species have shown that cuckoldry can be associated with important benefits. These insights have not been well integrated with the human literature, which continues to focus on anticuckoldry tactics and negative repercussions for men. I evaluate two key assumptions central to human models of cuckoldry: (1) men are being tricked into investing in nonbiological offspring and (2) investment in nonbiological offspring is wasted. The ethnographic data on fatherhood shows that the concepts of pater and genitor are complex and locally constructed ideas that often include explicit knowledge of extra-pair paternity, countering the idea that nonpaternity results from trickery. Furthermore, rather than being a "waste," paternity loss can be associated with important gains for men, helping to explain why men invest in nonbiological offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke A Scelza
- Department of Anthropology, UCLA Anthropology, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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3
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Cunningham E, Hays S, Wainstein T, Zierhut H, Virani A, Tryon R. Exploring genetic counselors' experiences with non-paternity in clinical settings. J Genet Couns 2024. [PMID: 38323428 DOI: 10.1002/jgc4.1881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Non-paternity (NP) is a challenging dilemma faced by genetics providers and there is little consensus on whether this finding should be disclosed. Discussions in the literature are highly theoretical, with limited research regarding how disclosure decisions are enacted in practice. We explored genetic counselors' (GCs) clinical experiences with NP to understand if, how, and why this finding is communicated. Our semi-structured interviews with genetic counselors in the United States and Canada were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to analyze data inductively, describe themes, and present a meaningful interpretation of the data. Eighteen participants who responded to list-serv messages were interviewed. Our framework describes five salient themes: (1) GC-lab relationship: the GCs awareness of laboratory processes such as quality control metrics that can uncover NP findings and the way in which a finding of NP was disclosed by the laboratory had an impact on disclosure decisions. This triggered a decision-making trajectory that involved (2) consultation, (3) ethical reasoning, and (4) practical constraints. GCs frequently consulted other professionals during decision-making. These conversations impacted disclosure decisions with some consultations carrying greater weight than others. GCs weighed moral concepts of patient autonomy, medical relevance, and preventing harm to rationalize decisions. Access to patients and documentation requirements often dictated how disclosure occurred. Finally, once a decision had been made and enacted, GCs used the experience to reconsider their approach to (5) consenting in future cases, with some GCs altering their pre-test counseling to always include a discussion of NP. Although NP scenarios are frequently unique in context, our findings demonstrate several common decision-making factors GCs harness to navigate the identification of NP through clinical genetic testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Cunningham
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stephen Hays
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Tasha Wainstein
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Heather Zierhut
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Alice Virani
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Ethics Service, Provincial Health Services Authority, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rebecca Tryon
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Blood & Marrow Transplant Program, M Health Fairview, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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4
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Fortes-Lima CA, Burgarella C, Hammarén R, Eriksson A, Vicente M, Jolly C, Semo A, Gunnink H, Pacchiarotti S, Mundeke L, Matonda I, Muluwa JK, Coutros P, Nyambe TS, Cikomola JC, Coetzee V, de Castro M, Ebbesen P, Delanghe J, Stoneking M, Barham L, Lombard M, Meyer A, Steyn M, Malmström H, Rocha J, Soodyall H, Pakendorf B, Bostoen K, Schlebusch CM. The genetic legacy of the expansion of Bantu-speaking peoples in Africa. Nature 2024; 625:540-547. [PMID: 38030719 PMCID: PMC10794141 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06770-6] [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: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The expansion of people speaking Bantu languages is the most dramatic demographic event in Late Holocene Africa and fundamentally reshaped the linguistic, cultural and biological landscape of the continent1-7. With a comprehensive genomic dataset, including newly generated data of modern-day and ancient DNA from previously unsampled regions in Africa, we contribute insights into this expansion that started 6,000-4,000 years ago in western Africa. We genotyped 1,763 participants, including 1,526 Bantu speakers from 147 populations across 14 African countries, and generated whole-genome sequences from 12 Late Iron Age individuals8. We show that genetic diversity amongst Bantu-speaking populations declines with distance from western Africa, with current-day Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo as possible crossroads of interaction. Using spatially explicit methods9 and correlating genetic, linguistic and geographical data, we provide cross-disciplinary support for a serial-founder migration model. We further show that Bantu speakers received significant gene flow from local groups in regions they expanded into. Our genetic dataset provides an exhaustive modern-day African comparative dataset for ancient DNA studies10 and will be important to a wide range of disciplines from science and humanities, as well as to the medical sector studying human genetic variation and health in African and African-descendant populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar A Fortes-Lima
- Human Evolution Program, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Concetta Burgarella
- Human Evolution Program, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- AGAP Institut, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Rickard Hammarén
- Human Evolution Program, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anders Eriksson
- cGEM, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mário Vicente
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cecile Jolly
- Human Evolution Program, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Armando Semo
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Hilde Gunnink
- UGent Centre for Bantu Studies (BantUGent), Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sara Pacchiarotti
- UGent Centre for Bantu Studies (BantUGent), Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Leon Mundeke
- University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Igor Matonda
- University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Joseph Koni Muluwa
- Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de Kikwit, Kikwit, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Peter Coutros
- UGent Centre for Bantu Studies (BantUGent), Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Vinet Coetzee
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Minique de Castro
- Biotechnology Platform, Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Peter Ebbesen
- Department of Health Science and Technology, University of Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Joris Delanghe
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mark Stoneking
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Lawrence Barham
- Department of Archaeology, Classics & Egyptology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Marlize Lombard
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Anja Meyer
- Human Variation and Identification Research Unit, School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Maryna Steyn
- Human Variation and Identification Research Unit, School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Helena Malmström
- Human Evolution Program, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jorge Rocha
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Himla Soodyall
- Division of Human Genetics, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Academy of Science of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Koen Bostoen
- UGent Centre for Bantu Studies (BantUGent), Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Carina M Schlebusch
- Human Evolution Program, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
- SciLifeLab, Uppsala, Sweden.
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5
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Swinford NA, Prall SP, Gopalan S, Williams CM, Sheehama J, Scelza BA, Henn BM. Increased homozygosity due to endogamy results in fitness consequences in a human population. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2309552120. [PMID: 37847737 PMCID: PMC10614605 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309552120] [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: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Recessive alleles have been shown to directly affect both human Mendelian disease phenotypes and complex traits. Pedigree studies also suggest that consanguinity results in increased childhood mortality and adverse health phenotypes, presumably through penetrance of recessive mutations. Here, we test whether the accumulation of homozygous, recessive alleles decreases reproductive success in a human population. We address this question among the Namibian Himba, an endogamous agro-pastoralist population, who until very recently practiced natural fertility. Using a sample of 681 individuals, we show that Himba exhibit elevated levels of "inbreeding," calculated as the fraction of the genome in runs of homozygosity (FROH). Many individuals contain multiple long segments of ROH in their genomes, indicating that their parents had high kinship coefficients. However, we do not find evidence that this is explained by first-cousin consanguinity, despite a reported social preference for cross-cousin marriages. Rather, we show that elevated haplotype sharing in the Himba is due to a bottleneck, likely in the past 60 generations. We test whether increased recessive mutation load results in observed fitness consequences by assessing the effect of FROH on completed fertility in a cohort of postreproductive women (n = 69). We find that higher FROH is significantly associated with lower fertility. Our data suggest a multilocus genetic effect on fitness driven by the expression of deleterious recessive alleles, especially those in long ROH. However, these effects are not the result of consanguinity but rather elevated background identity by descent.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. A. Swinford
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA95616
| | - S. P. Prall
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO65211
| | - S. Gopalan
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
| | - C. M. Williams
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
| | - J. Sheehama
- Department of Human, Biological and Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine University of Namibia, Oshakati10005, Namibia
| | - B. A. Scelza
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - B. M. Henn
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA95616
- Center for Population Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA95616
- Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA95616
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6
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Chevy ET, Huerta-Sánchez E, Ramachandran S. Integrating sex-bias into studies of archaic introgression on chromosome X. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010399. [PMID: 37578977 PMCID: PMC10449224 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence of interbreeding between archaic hominins and humans comes from methods that infer the locations of segments of archaic haplotypes, or 'archaic coverage' using the genomes of people living today. As more estimates of archaic coverage have emerged, it has become clear that most of this coverage is found on the autosomes- very little is retained on chromosome X. Here, we summarize published estimates of archaic coverage on autosomes and chromosome X from extant human samples. We find on average 7 times more archaic coverage on autosomes than chromosome X, and identify broad continental patterns in this ratio: greatest in European samples, and least in South Asian samples. We also perform extensive simulation studies to investigate how the amount of archaic coverage, lengths of coverage, and rates of purging of archaic coverage are affected by sex-bias caused by an unequal sex ratio within the archaic introgressors. Our results generally confirm that, with increasing male sex-bias, less archaic coverage is retained on chromosome X. Ours is the first study to explicitly model such sex-bias and its potential role in creating the dearth of archaic coverage on chromosome X.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T. Chevy
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Emilia Huerta-Sánchez
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Sohini Ramachandran
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- Data Science Initiative, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
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7
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Ross CT, Hooper PL, Smith JE, Jaeggi AV, Smith EA, Gavrilets S, Zohora FT, Ziker J, Xygalatas D, Wroblewski EE, Wood B, Winterhalder B, Willführ KP, Willard AK, Walker K, von Rueden C, Voland E, Valeggia C, Vaitla B, Urlacher S, Towner M, Sum CY, Sugiyama LS, Strier KB, Starkweather K, Major-Smith D, Shenk M, Sear R, Seabright E, Schacht R, Scelza B, Scaggs S, Salerno J, Revilla-Minaya C, Redhead D, Pusey A, Purzycki BG, Power EA, Pisor A, Pettay J, Perry S, Page AE, Pacheco-Cobos L, Oths K, Oh SY, Nolin D, Nettle D, Moya C, Migliano AB, Mertens KJ, McNamara RA, McElreath R, Mattison S, Massengill E, Marlowe F, Madimenos F, Macfarlan S, Lummaa V, Lizarralde R, Liu R, Liebert MA, Lew-Levy S, Leslie P, Lanning J, Kramer K, Koster J, Kaplan HS, Jamsranjav B, Hurtado AM, Hill K, Hewlett B, Helle S, Headland T, Headland J, Gurven M, Grimalda G, Greaves R, Golden CD, Godoy I, Gibson M, Mouden CE, Dyble M, Draper P, Downey S, DeMarco AL, Davis HE, Crabtree S, Cortez C, Colleran H, Cohen E, Clark G, Clark J, Caudell MA, Carminito CE, Bunce J, Boyette A, Bowles S, Blumenfield T, Beheim B, Beckerman S, Atkinson Q, Apicella C, Alam N, Mulder MB. Reproductive inequality in humans and other mammals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2220124120. [PMID: 37216525 PMCID: PMC10235947 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220124120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
To address claims of human exceptionalism, we determine where humans fit within the greater mammalian distribution of reproductive inequality. We show that humans exhibit lower reproductive skew (i.e., inequality in the number of surviving offspring) among males and smaller sex differences in reproductive skew than most other mammals, while nevertheless falling within the mammalian range. Additionally, female reproductive skew is higher in polygynous human populations than in polygynous nonhumans mammals on average. This patterning of skew can be attributed in part to the prevalence of monogamy in humans compared to the predominance of polygyny in nonhuman mammals, to the limited degree of polygyny in the human societies that practice it, and to the importance of unequally held rival resources to women's fitness. The muted reproductive inequality observed in humans appears to be linked to several unusual characteristics of our species-including high levels of cooperation among males, high dependence on unequally held rival resources, complementarities between maternal and paternal investment, as well as social and legal institutions that enforce monogamous norms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody T. Ross
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM87501
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Paul L. Hooper
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM87501
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM87131
| | | | - Adrian V. Jaeggi
- Institut für Anthropologie und Anthropologisches Museum, University of Zürich, Zürich8006, Switzerland
| | - Eric Alden Smith
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Sergey Gavrilets
- Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Mathematics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN37996
| | - Fatema tuz Zohora
- International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Dhaka1000, Bangladesh
| | - John Ziker
- Department of Anthropology, Boise State University, Boise, ID83725
| | | | | | - Brian Wood
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | | | - Kai P. Willführ
- Institute for Social Science, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg26129, Germany
| | - Aiyana K. Willard
- Centre for Culture and Evolution, Brunel University, LondonUB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Kara Walker
- College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC27695
| | | | - Eckart Voland
- Institute for Philosophy, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen35390, Germany
| | | | - Bapu Vaitla
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Samuel Urlacher
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, TX76706
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, CAM5G 1M1
| | - Mary Towner
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK74078
| | - Chun-Yi Sum
- College of General Studies, Boston University, Boston, MA02215
| | | | - Karen B. Strier
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI53706
| | | | - Daniel Major-Smith
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol, BristolBS8 1QU, United Kingdom
| | - Mary Shenk
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16802
| | - Rebecca Sear
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, LondonWC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Edmond Seabright
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM87131
| | - Ryan Schacht
- Department of Anthropology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC27858
| | - Brooke Scelza
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Shane Scaggs
- Department of Anthropology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
| | - Jonathan Salerno
- Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO80523
| | - Caissa Revilla-Minaya
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Daniel Redhead
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Anne Pusey
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
| | - Benjamin Grant Purzycki
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
- Department of the Study of Religion, Aarhus University, Aarhus8000, Denmark
| | - Eleanor A. Power
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM87501
- Department of Methodology, London School of Economics and Political Science, LondonWC2A 2AE, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Pisor
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA99164
| | - Jenni Pettay
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku20014, Finland
| | - Susan Perry
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Abigail E. Page
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, LondonWC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Luis Pacheco-Cobos
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz94294, Mexico
| | - Kathryn Oths
- Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL35487
| | - Seung-Yun Oh
- Korea Insurance Research Institute, Seoul150-606, Korea
| | - David Nolin
- Department of Sociology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA01003
| | - Daniel Nettle
- Département d’Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, Paris75230, France
| | - Cristina Moya
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Andrea Bamberg Migliano
- Institut für Anthropologie und Anthropologisches Museum, University of Zürich, Zürich8006, Switzerland
| | - Karl J. Mertens
- Department of Anthropology, Boise State University, Boise, ID83725
| | - Rita A. McNamara
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington6012, New Zealand
| | - Richard McElreath
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Siobhan Mattison
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM87131
| | - Eric Massengill
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM87131
| | - Frank Marlowe
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 1TN, United Kingdom
| | - Felicia Madimenos
- Department of Anthropology, Queens College (CUNY), New York, NY11367
| | - Shane Macfarlan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84112
| | - Virpi Lummaa
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku20014, Finland
| | - Roberto Lizarralde
- Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Sociales, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas1010A, Venezuela
| | - Ruizhe Liu
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM87131
| | - Melissa A. Liebert
- Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ86011
| | - Sheina Lew-Levy
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, DurhamDH1 3LE, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Leslie
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC27599
| | | | - Karen Kramer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84112
| | - Jeremy Koster
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH45221
| | | | | | - A. Magdalena Hurtado
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ85287
| | - Kim Hill
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ85287
| | - Barry Hewlett
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA99164
| | - Samuli Helle
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku20014, Finland
| | | | | | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA93106
| | | | - Russell Greaves
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84112
| | - Christopher D. Golden
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Irene Godoy
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld33615, Germany
| | - Mhairi Gibson
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol, BristolBS8 1QU, United Kingdom
| | - Claire El Mouden
- School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 2JD, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Dyble
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, LondonWC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia Draper
- School of Global Integrative Studies, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE68588
| | - Sean Downey
- Department of Anthropology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
| | | | | | - Stefani Crabtree
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM87501
- Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, Logan, UT84322
| | - Carmen Cortez
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Heidi Colleran
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Emma Cohen
- School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 2JD, United Kingdom
| | - Gregory Clark
- Department of Economics, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | | | - Mark A. Caudell
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA99164
| | - Chelsea E. Carminito
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH45221
| | - John Bunce
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Adam Boyette
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | | | - Tami Blumenfield
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM87131
- School of Ethnology and Sociology, Yunnan University, Yunnan650106, China
| | - Bret Beheim
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Stephen Beckerman
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16802
| | - Quentin Atkinson
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland1010, New Zealand
| | - Coren Apicella
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Nurul Alam
- International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Dhaka1000, Bangladesh
| | - Monique Borgerhoff Mulder
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM87501
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
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8
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Scelza BA, Prall SP. Only Death Will Separate Us: The Role of Extramarital Partnerships among Himba Pastoralists. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:1355-1363. [PMID: 36811815 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02553-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Extramarital partnerships are highly stigmatized in many societies and are typically excluded from studies of family dynamics and social support. Nevertheless, in many societies such relationships are common and can have important impacts on resource security and health outcomes. However, current studies of these relationships come mainly from ethnographic studies, with quantitative data extremely rare. Here we present data from a 10-year study of romantic partnerships among a community of Himba pastoralists in Namibia, where concurrency is common. The majority of married men (97%) and women (78%) currently reported having more than one partner (n = 122). Using multilevel models comparing marital and nonmarital relationships, we found that, contrary to conventional wisdom surrounding concurrency, Himba form enduring bonds with extramarital partners that often last decades and are very similar to marital ones in terms of length, emotional affect, reliability, and future prospects. Qualitative interview data showed that extramarital relationships were imbued with a set of rights and obligations that, while distinct from those of spouses, provide an important source of support. Greater inclusion of these relationships in studies of marriage and family would provide a clearer picture of social support and resource transfers in these communities and help to explain variation in the practice and acceptance of concurrency around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke A Scelza
- UCLA Department of Anthropology, Los Angeles, 341 Haines Hall, Box 951553, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1553, USA.
| | - Sean P Prall
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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9
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Lawson DW, Alami S, Somefun OD. Gendered conflict in the human family. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2023; 5:e12. [PMID: 37587929 PMCID: PMC10426121 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2023.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual conflict is a thriving area of animal behaviour research. Yet parallel research in the evolutionary human sciences remains underdeveloped and has become mired by controversy. In this special collection, we aim to invigorate the study of fitness-relevant conflicts between women and men, advocating for three synergistic research priorities. First, we argue that a commitment to diversity is required to innovate the field, achieve ethical research practice, and foster fruitful dialogue with neighbouring social sciences. Accordingly, we have prioritised issues of diversity as editors, aiming to stimulate new connections and perspectives. Second, we call for greater recognition that human sex/gender roles and accompanying conflict behaviours are both subject to natural selection and culturally determined. This motivates our shift in terminology from sexual to gendered conflict when addressing human behaviour, countering stubborn tendencies to essentialise differences between women and men and directing attention to the role of cultural practices, normative sanctions and social learning in structuring conflict battlegrounds. Finally, we draw attention to contemporary policy concerns, including the wellbeing consequences of marriage practices and the gendered implications of market integration. Focus on these themes, combined with attendance to the dangers of ethnocentrism, promises to inform culturally sensitive interventions promoting gender equality worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Lawson
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, USA
| | - Sarah Alami
- The School of Collective Intelligence, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Morocco
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10
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van Peer W. Jealousy: self-inflicted agony and ruin. Int Rev Psychiatry 2023; 35:25-32. [PMID: 37101372 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2023.2168521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
This chapter analyses the concept of jealousy (as different from envy) in romantic and sexual relationships. It demonstrates that jealousy is both logically and empirically untenable, as it is: (1) a self-contradictory emotion; (2) a self-destructive activity. As to (1) feelings of jealousy are incompatible with true care for the well-being and satisfaction of the loved partner. Logically, the notion of jealousy is self-defeating: it professes to be an expression of love while at the same time forbidding the loved one the freedom to act autonomously, thus killing the very notion of love. As to (2) nearly all empirical data point to the destructive effects to relationships of the feeling of jealousy, Shakespeare's Othello being its archetypal expression and its scathing analysis. The astounding fact, however, is that in many (most?) cultures jealousy is seen as an expression of love, while in reality it is an emanation of possessive feeling void of affection for the person 'loved'. A thorough cultural analysis, coupled to recently available DNA analyses, however, reveal a wholly different picture of extra-pair offspring, fully undermining the foundations upon which the notion of jealousy if based. Recent developments like 'open relationships' and 'polyamory' may be signs of overthrowing the contradictory and destructive aspects of jealousy. They presuppose, however, to undo deeply ingrained social attitudes accompanying love relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willie van Peer
- Faculty of Languages and Literatures, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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11
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Swinford N, Gallagher B, Sheehama J, Lin M, Prall S, Scelza B, Henn BM. Examination of runs of homozygosity in relation to height in an endogamous Namibian population. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 180:207-215. [PMID: 36790690 PMCID: PMC9937629 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Height is a complex, highly heritable polygenic trait subject to both genetic composition and environmental influences. Recent studies suggest that a large proportion of height heritability is determined by the cumulative effect of many low allele frequency variants across the genome. Previous research has also identified an inverse relationship between height and runs of homozygosity (ROH); however, this has yet to be examined within African populations. We aim to identify this association within the Himba, an endogamous Namibian population who are recently bottlenecked, resulting in elevated haplotype sharing and increased homozygosity. MATERIALS AND METHODS Here, we calculate the fraction of the genome composed of long runs of homozygosity (FROH) in a sample of 245 adults and use mixed effects models to assess its effect on height. RESULTS We find that Himba adults exhibit increased homozygosity. However, in contrast to previous studies in other populations, we do not find a significant effect of FROH on height within the Himba. We further estimated heritability of height, noting both an enrichment of distant relatives and greater developmental homogeneity across households; we find that h g 2 = 0.59 (SE ± 0.146), comparable to estimates reported in Europeans. DISCUSSION Our results may be due to other environmental variables we were not able to include, measurement error, or low statistical power, but may also imply that phenotypic expression resulting from increased homozygosity may vary from population to population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Swinford
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Brenna Gallagher
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | | | - Meng Lin
- University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | | | | | - Brenna M. Henn
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, USA,UC Davis Genome Center, University of California, Davis, USA
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12
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Wells JCK. An Evolutionary Model of “Sexual Conflict” Over Women's Age at Marriage: Implications for Child Mortality and Undernutrition. Front Public Health 2022; 10:653433. [PMID: 35784199 PMCID: PMC9247288 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.653433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundEarly women's marriage is associated with adverse outcomes for mothers and their offspring, including reduced human capital and increased child undernutrition and mortality. Despite preventive efforts, it remains common in many populations and is often favored by cultural norms. A key question is why it remains common, given such penalties. Using an evolutionary perspective, a simple mathematical model was developed to explore women's optimal marriage age under different circumstances, if the sole aim were to maximize maternal or paternal lifetime reproductive fitness (surviving offspring).MethodsThe model was based on several assumptions, supported by empirical evidence, regarding relationships between women's marital age and parental and offspring outcomes. It assumes that later marriage promotes women's autonomy, enhancing control over fertility and childcare, but increases paternity uncertainty. Given these assumptions, optimal marriage ages for maximizing maternal and paternal fitness were calculated. The basic model was then used to simulate environmental changes or public health interventions, including shifts in child mortality, suppression of women's autonomy, or promoting women's contraception or education.ResultsIn the basic model, paternal fitness is maximized at lower women's marriage age than is maternal fitness, with the paternal optimum worsening child undernutrition and mortality. A family planning intervention delays marriage age and reduces child mortality and undernutrition, at a cost to paternal but not maternal fitness. Reductions in child mortality favor earlier marriage but increase child undernutrition, whereas ecological shocks that increase child mortality favor later marriage but reduce fitness of both parents. An education intervention favors later marriage and reduces child mortality and undernutrition, but at a cost to paternal fitness. Efforts to suppress maternal autonomy substantially increase fitness of both parents, but only if other members of the household provide compensatory childcare.ConclusionEarly women's marriage maximizes paternal fitness despite relatively high child mortality and undernutrition, by increasing fertility and reducing paternity uncertainty. This tension between the sexes over the optimal marriage age is sensitive to ecological stresses or interventions. Education interventions seem most likely to improve maternal and child outcomes, but may be resisted by males and their kin as they may reduce paternal fitness.
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13
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Prall S, Scelza B. The effect of mating market dynamics on partner preference and relationship quality among Himba pastoralists. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm5629. [PMID: 35507659 PMCID: PMC9067927 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Relative mate value has long been believed to be a critical component of mate choice in humans. However, most empirical work focuses on preferences rather than actual pair formation, and data connecting partner preferences, partnership formation, and relationship quality remain rare. Here, we estimate mate value using >12,000 ratings by opposite-sex, in-group members to understand both hypothetical partnership preferences and actualized relationship dynamics. When evaluating hypothetical partnerships, people generally prefer individuals whose mate value is higher than their own, indicating an aspirational matching strategy. However, mate value comparisons of individuals in marital and nonmarital relationships show a positive correlation, suggesting that individuals tend to pair up with similarly desirable individuals. Furthermore, despite aspirational preferences, couples who are more closely matched reported greater relationship quality, measured through frequency of interactions, reported sexual histories, and partnership length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Prall
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Brooke Scelza
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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14
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Šaffa G, Zrzavý J, Duda P. Global phylogenetic analysis reveals multiple origins and correlates of genital mutilation/cutting. Nat Hum Behav 2022; 6:635-645. [PMID: 35361908 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01321-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Genital mutilation/cutting is costly in terms of health, survival and reproduction, and the long-term maintenance of these practices is an evolutionary conundrum. Previous studies have suggested a mate-guarding function or various signalling functions of genital mutilation/cutting. Here we use phylogenetic comparative methods and two global ethnographic samples to study the origins and socio-ecological correlates of major types of female and male genital mutilation/cutting. Male genital mutilation/cutting probably originated in polygynous societies with separate residence of co-wives, supporting a mate-guarding function. Female genital mutilation/cutting originated subsequently and almost exclusively in societies already practising male genital mutilation/cutting, where it may have become a signal of chastity. Both have originated multiple times, some as early as in the mid-Holocene (5,000-7,000 years ago), considerably predating the earliest archaeological evidence and written records. Genital mutilation/cutting co-evolves with and may help maintain fundamental social structures, hindering efforts to change these cultural practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Šaffa
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Jan Zrzavý
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Pavel Duda
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia.
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15
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The significant role of post-pairing male behavior on the evolution of male preferences and female traits. Commun Biol 2022; 5:4. [PMID: 35013514 PMCID: PMC8748628 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02961-x] [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: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Existing sexual selection theory postulates that a sufficiently large variation in female fecundity or other direct benefits are fundamental for generating male mate choice. In this study, we suggest that, in addition to pre-pairing preferences, choosy males can also have different post-pairing behaviors, a factor which has been comparatively overlooked by previous studies. We found that both male preferences and female traits could evolve much more easily than previously expected when the choosy males that paired with unpreferred females would allocate more efforts to seeking additional post-pairing mating opportunities. Furthermore, a costly female trait could evolve when there was a trade-off between seeking additional mating and paternal care investment within social pair for choosy males. Finally, a costly male preference and a costly female trait might still evolve and reach a stable polymorphic state in the population, which might give rise to a high variability in male choice and female traits in nature. We suggest that male mate choice may be even more common than expected, which needs to be verified empirically. Lyu and colleagues use theoretical models to examine the relationship between post-pairing male behaviors and female trait evolution. They find that male mate choosiness can be surprisingly influential on the evolution of costly female traits, but also that costly male preference and costly female traits could evolve to a polymorphic equilibrium under certain conditions.
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16
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Dahlén T, Zhao J, Magnusson PKE, Pawitan Y, Lavröd J, Edgren G. The frequency of misattributed paternity in Sweden is low and decreasing: A nationwide cohort study. J Intern Med 2022; 291:95-100. [PMID: 34288189 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The occurrence of misattributed paternity has consequences throughout society with implications ranging from inheritance and royal succession to transplantation. However, its frequency in Sweden is unknown. OBJECTIVE To estimate the contemporary frequency of misattributed paternity in Sweden. METHODS The study was based on nationwide ABO blood group data and a nationwide register of familial relationships in Sweden. These data were analysed using both a frequentist Poisson model and the Bayesian Gibbs model. The conduct of the study was approved by the regional ethics committee in Stockholm, Sweden (reference numbers 2018/167-31 and 2019-04656). RESULTS Nearly two million mother-father-offspring family units were included. Overall, the frequency of misattributed paternity was estimated at 1.7% in both models. Misattributed paternity was more common among parents with low educational levels, and has decreased over time to a current 1%. CONCLUSIONS The misattributed paternity rate is similar to the rates in other West European populations. Apart from widespread societal implications, studies on heritability may consider misattributed paternity as a minor source of error.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Dahlén
- Department of Medicine Solna, Clinical Epidemiology Division, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jingcheng Zhao
- Department of Medicine Solna, Clinical Epidemiology Division, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Patrik K E Magnusson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yudi Pawitan
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jakob Lavröd
- Department of Mathematics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Gustaf Edgren
- Department of Medicine Solna, Clinical Epidemiology Division, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Cardiology, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
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17
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Semenova OV, Butovskaya ML. Theoretical Reproductive Outcomes of the Sexual Conflict in Humans. DOKLADY BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES : PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE USSR, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SECTIONS 2021; 500:138-144. [PMID: 34731378 DOI: 10.1134/s0012496621050094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents an updated mathematical model of the evolutionary dynamics of the sexual conflict ("battle of the sexes") and its simulated reproductive outcomes. The authors highlight a whole range of life-history traits unique to our species, such as prolonged childhood, growth in parental care, etc. Based on these biosocial premises, the sexual conflict between men and women shifts into the mathematical realm of the "Prisoner's Dilemma" game. The evolutionarily stable strategy of mutual rejection of parenthood would be dominant with this PD strategy in both parents; oscillation dynamics predicted in previous models would not be expected. Despite fatal theoretical prediction of the PD evolutionary game, the newish genetic data of the EPP rates in the historical populations reveals prevalence of cooperation between both sexes, predominantly utilizing the monogamous form of sexuality. Presumably, this sexual norm could have potentially ensured reproductive success in the societies in the past.
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Affiliation(s)
- O V Semenova
- Miklouho-Maklay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991, Moscow, Russia.
| | - M L Butovskaya
- Miklouho-Maklay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991, Moscow, Russia
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18
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DeLecce T, Shackelford TK, Zeigler-Hill V, Fink B, Abed MG. Mate Retention Behavior and Ejaculate Quality in Humans. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2021; 50:3821-3830. [PMID: 34713428 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-01992-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Males of some species use mate retention behavior and investment in ejaculate quality as anti-cuckoldry tactics concurrently while others do so in a compensatory fashion. Leivers, Rhodes, and Simmons (2014) reported that men who performed mate retention less frequently produced higher-quality ejaculates, suggesting that humans use these tactics compensatorily. We conducted a conceptual replication of this research in a sample of 41 men (18-33 years; M = 23.33; SD = 3.60). By self-report, participants had not had a vasectomy and had never sought infertility treatment. We controlled for several covariates known to affect ejaculate quality (e.g., abstinence duration before providing an ejaculate) and found no statistically significant relationships between mate retention behavior and four components of ejaculate quality: sperm velocity, sperm concentration, slow motility, and ejaculate volume. The present results provide little support for the hypothesis that human males deploy mate retention behavior and ejaculate quality investment compensatorily. We discuss the limitations of this study and highlight the need for research to address questions about the nature of anti-cuckoldry tactic deployment in humans, especially concerning investment in ejaculate quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara DeLecce
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 213B Pryale Hall, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA.
| | - Todd K Shackelford
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 213B Pryale Hall, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA
| | - Virgil Zeigler-Hill
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 213B Pryale Hall, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA
| | - Bernhard Fink
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Biosocial Science Information, Biedermannsdorf, Austria
| | - Mohaned G Abed
- Educational Graduate Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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19
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Miller CM, Snyder-Mackler N, Nguyen N, Fashing PJ, Tung J, Wroblewski EE, Gustison ML, Wilson ML. Extragroup paternity in gelada monkeys, Theropithecus gelada, at Guassa, Ethiopia and a comparison with other primates. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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20
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Hazel A, Meeks G, Bharti N, Jakurama J, Matundu J, Jones JH. Opportunities and constraints in women's resource security amid climate change: A case study of arid-living Namibian agro-pastoralists. Am J Hum Biol 2021; 33:e23633. [PMID: 34181282 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We describe the composition and variation of women's resource strategies in an arid-living Southern African agro-pastoralist society to gain insights into adaptation to climate-change-induced increased aridity. METHODS Using cross-sectional data from 210 women collected in 2009 across 28 agro-pastoralist villages in Kaokoveld Namibia, we conducted principal-component (PC) analysis of resource variables and constructed profiles of resource strategies from the major PCs. Next, we explored associations between key resource strategies and demographic measures and fitness proxies. RESULTS The first two PCs accounted for 43% of women's overall resource variation. PC1 reflects women's ability to access market resources via livestock trading, while PC2 captured women's direct food access. We found that market strategies were more common among married women and less common among women who have experienced child mortality. Women with higher subsistence security were more likely to be from the OvaHimba tribe and had a higher risk of gonorrhea exposure. We also qualitatively explored drought-induced pressure on women's livestock. Finally, we show that sexual networks were attenuated during drought, indicating strain on social support. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight how agro-pastoralist women manage critical resources in unpredictable environments, and how resource strategies distribute among the women in our study. Goats as a commodity to obtain critical resources suggests that some women have flexibility during drought when gardens fail and cattle die. However, increased aridity and drought may eventually overwhelm husbandry practices in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Hazel
- Department of Earth System Science, Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Gillian Meeks
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Program in Integrative Genetics and Genomics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Nita Bharti
- Department of Biology, The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | - James Holland Jones
- Department of Earth System Science, Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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The Role of Spousal Separation on Norms Related to Gender and Sexuality among Himba Pastoralists. SOCIAL SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/socsci10050174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The gender-specific labor demands of arid pastoralism often lead to spousal separation. Men typically respond in one of two ways: engage in mate guarding tactics, or loosen restrictions on female sexuality. Among Himba pastoralists in northwest Namibia, the latter strategy is dominant. Rooted in a history of matriliny, Himba have strong norms promoting female sexual autonomy. We propose that these conditions, combined with a stochastic resource base, have led to women utilizing a combination of formal and informal partnerships to meet their needs and the needs of their children. Aspects of Himba socioecology also increase the costs of mate guarding for men and lower the costs of extra-pair paternity, further bolstering a concurrency strategy. Using a mix of quantitative and qualitative data, we show how spousal separation, female autonomy, and concurrency are linked, and suggest that in this harsh environment having a mix of formal and informal romantic partners may be less costly and more beneficial than a system of monogamous marriage.
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Garcia C, Bouret S, Druelle F, Prat S. Balancing costs and benefits in primates: ecological and palaeoanthropological views. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190667. [PMID: 33423629 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Maintaining the balance between costs and benefits is challenging for species living in complex and dynamic socio-ecological environments, such as primates, but also crucial for shaping life history, reproductive and feeding strategies. Indeed, individuals must decide to invest time and energy to obtain food, services and partners, with little direct feedback on the success of their investments. Whereas decision-making relies heavily upon cognition in humans, the extent to which it also involves cognition in other species, based on their environmental constraints, has remained a challenging question. Building mental representations relating behaviours and their long-term outcome could be critical for other primates, but there are actually very little data relating cognition to real socio-ecological challenges in extant and extinct primates. Here, we review available data illustrating how specific cognitive processes enable(d) modern primates and extinct hominins to manage multiple resources (e.g. food, partners) and to organize their behaviour in space and time, both at the individual and at the group level. We particularly focus on how they overcome fluctuating and competing demands, and select courses of action corresponding to the best possible packages of potential costs and benefits in reproductive and foraging contexts. This article is part of the theme issue 'Existence and prevalence of economic behaviours among non-human primates'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Garcia
- UMR 7206, CNRS-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle-Université de Paris, CNRS-Musfum national d'Histoire naturelle-UPVD, Musée de l'Homme, 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France
| | - Sébastien Bouret
- Institut du Cerveau (ICM), CNRS UMR 7225-INSERM U1127-UPMC UMR S 1127, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière 47, boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France
| | - François Druelle
- UMR 7194 (Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique), CNRS-Musfum national d'Histoire naturelle-UPVD, Musée de l'Homme, 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France.,Functional Morphology Laboratory, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sandrine Prat
- UMR 7194 (Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique), CNRS-Musfum national d'Histoire naturelle-UPVD, Musée de l'Homme, 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France
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Nelson RG. Beyond the Household: Caribbean Families and Biocultural Models of Alloparenting. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANTHROPOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anthro-102218-011140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Alloparental or extramaternal care is an integral aspect of human childrearing. This behavior has been explored both as an extension of the primary mother–infant dyad that evolved to meet the demands of altricial offspring and as an economic exchange of energy and resources. Much of this research centers on foraging or small-scale communities and positions the household as the central unit through which to explore negotiations of care. In this review, I use evidence from Black Caribbean communities living in industrialized countries to challenge the broad applicability of the analytical model of the bounded household and to question whether our current articulations of theory and empirical assessments of extramaternal care are well suited to investigations of these behaviors in the vast majority of contemporary human populations. Alloparental practices in the Caribbean reflect dynamic responses to maternal migration and the local influence of global labor markets. The children who remain at home experience variability in the care received from their surrogate parents. The dynamic aspect of the care practices enacted by these transnational families reveals the behavioral flexibility that has been integral to human survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin G. Nelson
- Department of Anthropology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California 95053, USA
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24
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Firman RC. Of mice and women: advances in mammalian sperm competition with a focus on the female perspective. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200082. [PMID: 33070720 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although initially lagging behind discoveries being made in other taxa, mammalian sperm competition is now a productive and advancing field of research. Sperm competition in mammals is not merely a 'sprint-race' between the gametes of rival males, but rather a race over hurdles; those hurdles being the anatomical and physiological barriers provided by the female reproductive tract, as well as the egg and its vestments. With this in mind, in this review, I discuss progress in the field while focusing on the female perspective. I highlight ways by which sperm competition can have positive effects on female reproductive success and discuss how competitive outcomes are not only owing to dynamics between the ejaculates of rival males, but also attributable to mechanisms by which female mammals bias paternity toward favourable sires. Drawing on examples across different species-from mice to humans-I provide an overview of the accumulated evidence which firmly establishes that sperm competition is a key selective force in the evolution of male traits and detail how females can respond to increased sperm competitiveness with increased egg resistance to fertilization. I also discuss evidence for facultative responses to the sperm competition environment observed within mammal species. Overall, this review identifies shortcomings in our understanding of the specific mechanisms by which female mammals 'select' sperm. More generally, this review demonstrates how, moving forward, mammals will continue to be effective animal models for studying both evolutionary and facultative responses to sperm competition. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée C Firman
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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26
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Prall SP, Scelza BA. Resource demands reduce partner discrimination in Himba women. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2020; 2:e45. [PMID: 37588368 PMCID: PMC10427436 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2020.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Where autonomy for partner choice is high, partner preferences may be shaped by both social and ecological conditions. In particular, women's access to resources can influence both the type and number of partnerships she engages in. However, most existing data linking resources and partner choice rely on either priming effects or large demographic databases, rather than preferences for specific individuals. Here we leverage a combination of demographic data, food insecurity scores and trait and partner preference ratings to determine whether resource security modulates partner preferences among Himba pastoralists. We find that while food insecurity alone has a weak effect on women's openness to new partners, the interaction of food insecurity and number of dependent children strongly predicts women's openness to potential partners. Further, we show that women who have more dependants have stronger preferences for wealthy and influential men. An alternative hypothesis derived from mating-market dynamics, that female desirability affects female preferences, had no effect. Our data show that women who face greater resource constraints are less discriminating in the number of partners they are open to, and have stronger preferences for resource-related traits. These findings highlight the importance of ecological signals in explaining the plasticity of mate preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean P. Prall
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Brooke A. Scelza
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Prall SP, Scelza BA. Why men invest in non-biological offspring: paternal care and paternity confidence among Himba pastoralists. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192890. [PMID: 32156214 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Paternal investment is predicted to be a facultative calculation based on expected fitness returns and modulated by a host of social predictors including paternity uncertainty. However, the direct role of paternity confidence on the patterns of paternal investment is relatively unknown, in part due to a lack of research in populations with high levels of paternity uncertainty. Additionally, much of the work on paternity certainty uses cues of paternity confidence rather than direct assessments from fathers. We examine the effect of paternity assertions on the multiple measures of paternal investment in Himba pastoralists. Despite a high degree of paternity uncertainty, Himba have strong norms associated with social fatherhood, with men expected to invest equally in biological and non-biological offspring. Our behavioural data show patterns that largely conform to these norms. For domains of investment that are highly visible to the community, such as brideprice payments, we find no evidence of investment biased by paternity confidence. However, more private investment decisions do show some evidence of sex-specific titration. We discuss these results in light of broader considerations about paternal care and the mating-parenting trade-off.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean P Prall
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA
| | - Brooke A Scelza
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
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Abstract
The rapidly decreasing costs of generating genetic data sequencing and the ease of new DNA collection technologies have opened up new opportunities for anthropologists to conduct field-based genetic studies. An exciting aspect of this work comes from linking genetic data with the kinds of individual-level traits evolutionary anthropologists often rely on, such as those collected in long-term demographic and ethnographic studies. However, combining these two types of data raises a host of ethical questions related to the collection, analysis and reporting of such data. Here we address this conundrum by examining one particular case, the collection and analysis of paternity data. We are particularly interested in the logistics and ethics involved in genetic paternity testing in the localized settings where anthropologists often work. We discuss the particular issues related to paternity testing in these settings, including consent and disclosure, consideration of local identity and beliefs and developing a process of continued community engagement. We then present a case study of our own research in Namibia, where we developed a multi-tiered strategy for consent and community engagement, built around a double-blind procedure for data collection, analysis and reporting. Paternity testing in anthropology raises ethical and methodological issues. We summarize these and describe a novel double-blind method used in our work.
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