From john.komlos at econhist.vwl.uni-muenchen.de Tue Aug 6 09:51:08 2002 From: john.komlos at econhist.vwl.uni-muenchen.de (John Komlos) Date: Wed Nov 16 18:04:32 2005 Subject: EHB: Florence meeting http://www.icaes-florence2003.com/ Message-ID: ----------------- EHB POSTING ----------------- Florence (Italy), July 5-12, 2003 The XV th International Congress of the Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences will be held in Florence (Italy), July 5-12 2003. See: http://www.icaes-florence2003.com/ Those who are interested in receiving a circular and are not jet registered, please send an e-mail to antropos@unifi.it with full mailing address. ------------ FOOTER TO EHB POSTING ------------ For information, send the message "info EHB" to lists@eh.net. From john.komlos at econhist.vwl.uni-muenchen.de Mon Aug 19 04:31:58 2002 From: john.komlos at econhist.vwl.uni-muenchen.de (John Komlos) Date: Wed Nov 16 18:04:32 2005 Subject: EHB: Book Review Message-ID: ----------------- EHB POSTING ----------------- You might be interested in this review to appear in Population and Development Review Barry Bogin, The Growth of Humanity. New York, etc: Wiley-Liss, 2001. Bogin combines anthropological and demographic perspectives in this fascinating synthesis by emphasizing the implications of the biosocial characteristics of human populations, and their evolutionary foundations, in the growth of humanity, both physically as well as in numbers. A biocultural model considers that demographic outcomes depend crucially on the interaction of biology and culture. The HIV epidemic is but one contemporary example, in that it has social, biological, as well as cultural-behavioral foundations, with considerable demographic consequences: some 22 million lives lost – about the number who died from the bubonic plague in 14th century Europe. In addition, the epidemic reduced life expectancy at birth in such sub-Saharan countries as Malawi and Uganda to under 45, a level reached in Sweden in 1870. In turn, these demographic outcomes have obvious social feedback effects with the number of orphans rising to some 13 million. Bogin discusses topics that are often bypassed in demographic surveys, such as the biology of human physical growth, as well as its history, and the evolution of the human endocrine system that plays an important role in the emergence of the human life course. These biological aspects of the human organism are at the very foundations of the demographic system (p. 105). The evolutionary perspective assumes that biological and behavioral traits do not survive unless they confer at least some reproductive advantage. Hence, the evolution of the human life course, with more stages than any other living being (from birth to senescence), fostered survival and the growth of the specie in numbers. These distinguishing stages include an extended childhood (evolved about 2 million years ago) – from weaning through the end of the increase in the weight of the brain, and adolescence (that came into being less than 100,000 years ago). Most primates proceed from infancy to the juvenile stage and from there to adulthood in a shorter time span. In contrast, the human life course confers important reproductive advantages, - by increasing the probability of survival through such mechanisms as the improvement of the capacity of the brain. The existence of childhood shortens infancy and thereby the length of breastfeeding that enables mothers to have more babies: 3-4 offspring in the time it takes chimpanzees to have two. Childhood is also important, because it provides more time for the brain to grow. Note that the pelvic inlet constrains the size of the brain to be about 850 cc – about the size of adult brain of hominids some 1.6 million years ago. The childhood stage, however, gives the brain time to grow slowly to reach the modern adult size of about 1350 cc. Hence, without the evolution of childhood we would not have been able to become the humans of today. Adolescence is also very useful, because it delays the onset of reproduction, enabling humans to learn the skills required in adulthood before they themselves produce offspring, thereby becoming better parents. This is the case insofar as the accumulation of adult skills implies that they will be more successful at procuring the necessities of life, and hence will be more successful at protecting, teaching and nurturing their own physically dependent children. Apes reaches adulthood at age 12 – which limits their ability to learn the social skills conducive to survival. This is a considerable handicap in comparison to humans. The evolution of the human life stages, in contrast to other organisms, implies that more of the species survive: chimpanzees rear about 36% of their offspring to maturity, while human hunter-gatherers rear about 60%. The evolution of the diet also confers reproductive advantages on humans, while resource sharing lowers the variance in food availability to the individual, and the division of labor increases productivity. There is evidence of Homo erectus some 1.6 million years ago consuming the livers of carnivores in large quantities, implying that they were scavengers rather than hunters. Hunting of large prey did not emerge until about 90,000 years ago. It was helpful that humans were capable of digesting a highly diversified diet, even if the bulk of the diet consisted of plants. Australian aborigines consume some 240 species of plants and 120 species of animals. This is in contrast to agriculturalists who subsist for the most part on 9 species of plant foods, and 2 species of animals (hogs and cattle). Thus, the evolution of the diet, of life stages, that of the brain, and of the endocrine system that triggers these stages including adolescence, are the basis of the demographic experience of humanity. Bogin summarizes his thesis in one sentence perfectly by asserting that “compared with all other animals, people are the reproductive champions” (p. 162). Bogin’s fascinating synthesis provides a comprehensive introduction to biocultural anthropology, and depicts well the interplay of human biology and culture in the regulation of population growth as well as the growth of the individual organism. Biology, as the thesis of this book emphasizes, is an integral part of demography, and this book should be an integral part of reading lists of all population-related courses at both the advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate levels. The Growth of Humanity repays careful examination, and provides demography with an evolutionary perspective with stimulating insights. John Komlos University of Munich ------------ FOOTER TO EHB POSTING ------------ For information, send the message "info EHB" to lists@eh.net. From john.komlos at econhist.vwl.uni-muenchen.de Sun Aug 25 03:22:33 2002 From: john.komlos at econhist.vwl.uni-muenchen.de (John Komlos) Date: Wed Nov 16 18:04:32 2005 Subject: EHB: Shrinking Physical Stature in Old Age Message-ID: ----------------- EHB POSTING ----------------- I wonder if anyone knows of work on the decline in physical stature in old age as a function of nutritional status or of work load. It seems to me to be an interesting hypothesis worth investigating if no one has done so so far. jk ------------ FOOTER TO EHB POSTING ------------ For information, send the message "info EHB" to lists@eh.net.