Culture, urbanism and changing human biology

Abstract

Anthropologists have long known that human activity driven by culture changes the environment. This is apparent in the archaeological record and through the study of the modern environment. Perhaps the largest change since the paleolithic era is the organization of human populations in cities. New environments can reshape human biology through evolution as shown by the evolution of the hominid lineage. Evolution is not the only process capable of reshaping our biology. Some changes in our human biology are adaptive and evolutionary while others are pathological. What changes in human biology may be wrought by the modern urban environment? One significant new change in the environment is the introduction of pollutants largely through urbanization. Pollutants can affect human biology in myriad ways. Evidence shows that human growth, reproduction, and cognitive functioning can be altered by some pollutants, and altered in different ways depending on the pollutant. Thus, pollutants have significance for human biologists and anthropologists generally. Further, they illustrate the bio-cultural interaction characterizing human change. Humans adapt by changing the environment, a cultural process, and then change biologically to adjust to that new environment. This ongoing, interactive process is a fundamental characteristic of human change over the millennia.

Moscow children: a century of growth dynamics

“…[Èñòîðèÿ Ìîñêâû, 2019]. À òàêèå ôàêòîðû êàê óðîâåíü òåõíîãåííûõ è èíûõ çàãðÿçíåíèé îêðóaeàþùåé ñðåäû, ïðîâîöèðóþùèå ýíäîêðèííûå íàðóøåíèÿ, îêàçûâàþòñÿ ñåãîäíÿ äîìèíèðóþùèìè íàä «òðàäèöèîííûìè» ñîöèàëüíî-ýêîíîìè÷åñêèìè [Schell, 2014;Schell et al, 2009Schell et al, , 2012. Îòìåòèì, ÷òî ãîëëàíäñêèå àóêñîëîãè îäíèì èç âàaeíûõ ôàêòîðîâ ñåêóëÿðíîãî óâåëè÷åíèÿ, â ÷àñòíîñòè, äëèíû òåëà, ïîìèìî óëó÷øåíèÿ ïèòàíèÿ, îáðàçîâàòåëüíîãî óðîâíÿ, ãèãèåíû, çäîðîâüÿ äåòåé ïîëàãàþò óìåíüøåíèå Вестник Московского университета.…”

La Sostenibilidad en La Gestión De Los Residuos Sólidos Urbanos en La Ciudad De Tepic, Nayarit, México. Un Enfoque Desde La Alianza Gobierno, Sociedad, Academia

“…De ahí que la planificación y el desarrollo urbanos demanden una gestión sostenible en las ciudades. Este planteamiento implica la reducción de muchos problemas en el entorno urbano, y subraya la necesidad de protegerlo de la destrucción ecológica ocasionada por concentración de la población en grandes zonas urbanas, escasez de vivienda, pérdida de recursos naturales, contaminación al aire, suelo y agua, entre otros, como consecuencia de un mundo cada vez más urbanizado y con mayor degradación ambiental (Schell y Ulijaszek 1999, Savard et al 2000, van Herzele y Wiedemann 2003, Wong et al 2006, Kong et al 2010.…”

Influence of socioeconomic and ecological factors on secular changes in body dimensions in modern young generation (a pilot study of Moscow sample)

“…Ïîýòîìó â ñîâðåìåííûõ èññëåäîâàíèÿõ ñåêóëÿðíîãî òðåíäà íàðÿäó ñ ñîöèàëüíî-ýêîíîìè÷åñêèìè öåëåñîîáðàçíî ðàññìàòðèâàòü è ýêîëîãè÷åñêèe ôàêòîðû, êîòîðûå òàêaeå ïðåòåðïåëè çíà÷èòåëüíûå ïðåîáðàçîâàíèÿ çà ïåðèîä èíòåíñèâíûõ ìîäèôèêàöèé ìîðôîëî-ãè÷åñêîãî ñòàòóñà ÷åëîâåêà. Ê íèì îòíîñÿòñÿ ôàêòîðû, ñâÿçàííûå ñ âîçíèêíîâåíèåì è ðàçâèòèåì óðáàíèçèðîâàííîé ñðåäû è èíòåíñèâíûì èíäóñòðèàëüíûì ïðîãðåññîì, òàêèå êàê òåõíîãåííîå çàãðÿçíåíèå îêðóaeàþùåãî ïðîñòðàíñòâà [Schell, 2014].  ðÿäå ðàáîò áûëè èññëåäîâàíû àññîöèàöèè àíò-ðîïîìåòðè÷åñêèõ è ýêîëîãè÷åñêèõ ïàðàìåòðîâ è óñòàíîâëåíî, ÷òî ñïåöèôè÷åñêèå äëÿ óðáàíèçèðîâàííûé ñðåäû ýêîëîãè÷åñêèå ïîêàçàòåëè äåé-ñòâèòåëüíî îêàçûâàþò âîçäåéñòâèå íà ìîðôîëîãè-÷åñêèå îñîáåííîñòè [Ãîðáà÷åâà, Ôåäîòîâà, 2018; Ôåäîòîâà ñ ñîàâò., 2019].…”