Fertility in Traditional Societies

Campbell, Kenneth L.; Wood, James W.

doi:10.1007/978-1-349-09961-0_4

Cited by 113 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 57 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The amount of suckling is not the only factor, as has been suggested in explaining reduced natural fertility (Bongaarts, 1980). In addition, age of menarche and the other events of the reproductive span, which are known to be affected by the nutritional state, are pertinent to overall fertility (Frisch, 1983(Frisch, ,1984Campbell & Wood, 1988).…”

Section: The Paradox Of Rapid Population Growth In Undernourished Popmentioning

confidence: 99%

The right weight: body fat, menarche and fertility

Frisch¹

1994

Proc. Nutr. Soc.

110

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: The Paradox Of Rapid Population Growth In Undernourished Popmentioning

confidence: 99%

The right weight: body fat, menarche and fertility

Frisch¹

1994

Proc. Nutr. Soc.

110

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Our analysis relies on the assumption that investment decisions can at least partially be inferred on the 127 basis of offspring survival; ideally, our analyses would be supplemented by other measurable indicators of investment, 128 but such measures are not available in our data set. higher fertility than foraging populations (Gurven et al, 2010;Campbell and Wood, 1988).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for quantity–quality trade-offs, sex-specific parental investment, and variance compensation in colonized Agta foragers undergoing demographic transition

Ross

Mulder

Winterhalder

et al. 2016

Evolution and Human Behavior

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Evolutionary ecological models of human fertility predict that (1) parents will bias investment toward the sex with the highest fitness prospects in a particular socio-ecological context; (2) fertility is subject to quantity-quality trade-offs; and (3) fertility decisions will be sensitive to both predictable and stochastic mortality risk and the relative fitness value of differently sized sib-sets (the variance compensation hypothesis). We test these predictions using demographic records from the Agta, an indigenous population from the Philippines, who, as a result of disruption by loggers, miners, and settlers, are undergoing a demographic and social/ecological transition from foragers to peasant laborers. Leveraging the spatial and temporal variation in the Agta Demographic Database, we conduct a Bayesian analysis of Agta life-history traits across this transition. Specifically, we compare the Casiguran Agta (CA) with the more isolated peninsular San Ildefonso Agta (SIA) sub-population from before (phase 1) and after (phase 2) encroachment. We find: (1) evidence of a decline in overall survival from phase 1 to phase 2, coupled with increased parental investment in first-born daughters compared to first-born sons in the CA population, and increased parental investment in sons versus daughters in the SIA population; (2) evidence of a moderate quantity-quality trade-off in CA and SIA fertility in phase 1; and (3) support for predictions of the variance compensation hypothesis as a driver of the lowered relative fertility in the CA. Our customized methods, comparative framework, and simultaneous focus on fertility and mortality allow us to show how heterogeneity in mortality and fertility are linked to life history trade-offs and environmental context in a manner consistent with the predictions of evolutionary ecological models.

show abstract

“…Breastfeeding and weaning practices can be viewed from the evolutionary perspectives of life history theory, parental investment, child development, social system, and reproductive strategy (Lee, 1996;Bogin, 1997;Hewlett and Lamb, 2005;Kennedy, 2005;Sellen, 2007;Humphrey, 2010). Furthermore, the length of the breastfeeding period is one of the most important determinants of the fertility of a population (Trussell, 1979;Bongaarts, 1978Bongaarts, , 1982Bongaarts and Potter, 1983;Campbell and Wood, 1988;Wood, 1994). Cultural factors, such as the type of subsistence activities, social constructs, and religious beliefs, also affect human breastfeeding practices (Ford, 1964;Maher, 1992;Fildes, 1995;WHO, 1998;Hewlett and Lamb, 2005).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconstruction of breastfeeding and weaning practices using stable isotope and trace element analyses: A review

Tsutaya

Yoneda

2014

American J Phys Anthropol

196

188

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Biogeochemical methods using stable isotopes and trace elements have been increasingly developed and applied to reconstruct modern and ancient breastfeeding and weaning practices of mammals, including humans, because they offer direct proxies for the dietary intake of subadults. Carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotopes have been used to evaluate breast milk lipid, protein, and water intake, respectively. Carbon and sulfur isotopes have been used to estimate the content of weaning foods. The elemental concentrations of Sr and Ba in subadult tissues differ because of the dietary change during the weaning process. For analyses, various tissues have been used, such as hair, nail, blood, and feces for modern mammals and bone and teeth for ancient ones. Of these, trace element analysis of tooth enamel offers a good opportunity for the reconstruction of breastfeeding and weaning practices of the more distant past at finer resolution, although further understanding of the metabolism of trace elements is necessary. There are various tissue-and element-specific advantages and disadvantages, and a combination of different proxies can illuminate practices from various viewpoints. Finally, applying the geochemical reconstruction of breastfeeding and weaning practices to human ecology, primatology, and paleoanthropology is important; basic studies of the underlying physiological mechanisms and technical improvements in the analyses will further highlight avenues for future research. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 156:2-21, 2015. V C 2014 American Association of Physical AnthropologistsThe reconstruction of breastfeeding and weaning practices (BWPs) of ancient human and other mammalian species is one of the most important fields in anthropology, archaeology, evolutionary biology, and history. Infant feeding practices affect the overall health of the population because diet, health status, and growth at a young age have profound effects on an individual's later life (Dettwyler and Fishman, 1992;Katzenberg et al., 1996;WHO, 1998WHO, , 2009Lewis, 2007). Breastfeeding and weaning practices can be viewed from the evolutionary perspectives of life history theory, parental investment, child development, social system, and reproductive strat-

show abstract

Fertility in Traditional Societies

Cited by 113 publications

References 57 publications

The right weight: body fat, menarche and fertility

The right weight: body fat, menarche and fertility

Evidence for quantity–quality trade-offs, sex-specific parental investment, and variance compensation in colonized Agta foragers undergoing demographic transition

Reconstruction of breastfeeding and weaning practices using stable isotope and trace element analyses: A review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About