Steps towards an evolutionary medicine

“Nothing in Biology makes sense, except in the light of evolution.” This famous citation of Theodosius Dobzhansky also underlies the integrative field of evolutionary medicine, which faces the challenge to combine (patho-)physiological mechanisms with evolutionary function. Here we introduce a concept from the study of animal behavior, which are the four questions of Tinbergen that consider: 1. the ontogeny of an individual describing its development, 2. its physiological machinery, which 3. has fitness consequences influencing 4. the evolutionary history (phylogeny) of future generations. It is shown how this concept can be applied to infectious disease and to chronic inflammatory systemic diseases. Evolutionary medicine takes lifetime reproductive success into account. The hypothesis to be tested is that mechanisms underlying a disease in old age might have higher fitness benefits in the pre-reproductive and/or reproductive life history stage, leading to an overall increased lifetime fitness.

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Palaeopathology and its relevance to understanding health and disease today: the impact of the environment on health, past and present

Anthropological Review ◽

10.1515/anre-2016-0001 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 79 (1) ◽

pp. 1-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Charlotte Ann Roberts

Keyword(s):

Dna Analysis ◽

Ethical Issues ◽

Uv Light ◽

Evolutionary Medicine ◽

Lower Respiratory Tract Disease ◽

Health And Disease ◽

Urban Contexts ◽

Tract Disease ◽

Pathogen Dna ◽

The Impact

Abstract This paper considers the discipline of palaeopathology, how it has developed, how it is studied, and what limitations present challenges to analysis. The study of disease has a long history and has probably most rapidly developed over the last 40-50 years with the development of methods, and particularly ancient pathogen DNA analysis. While emphasizing that palaeopathology has close synergies to evolutionary medicine, it focuses then on three ‘case studies’ that illustrate the close interaction people have had with their environments and how that has impacted their health. Upper and lower respiratory tract disease has affected sinuses and ribs, particularly in urban contexts, and tuberculosis in particular has been an ever present disease throughout thousands of years of our existence. Ancient DNA methods are now allowing us to explore how strains of the bacteria causing TB have changed through time. Vitamin D deficiency and ‘phossy jaw’ are also described, both potentially related to polluted environments, and possibly to working conditions in the industrial period. Access to UV light is emphasized as a preventative factor for rickets and where a person lives is important (latitude). The painful stigmatizing ‘phossy jaw’ appears to be a condition related to the match making industries. Finally, thoughts for the future are outlined, and two key concerns: a close consideration of ethical issues and human remains, especially with destructive analyses, and thinking more about how palaeopathological research can impact people beyond academia.

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Evolutionary Medicine

10.1002/9780470015902.a0028794 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Olga Dolgova

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary Medicine

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Evolutionary Medicine: Philosophical Aspects

The Bloomsbury Companion to Contemporary Philosophy of Medicine ◽

10.5040/9781474233033.ch-006 ◽

2017 ◽

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary Medicine

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A case for environmental statistics of early-life effects

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2018.0110 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 374 (1770) ◽

pp. 20180110 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Willem E. Frankenhuis ◽

Daniel Nettle ◽

Sasha R. X. Dall

Keyword(s):

Early Life ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Evolutionary Medicine ◽

Social Aspects ◽

Evolutionary Models ◽

Theme Issue ◽

Future Directions ◽

Environmental Statistics ◽

Cue Reliability

There is enduring debate over the question of which early-life effects are adaptive and which ones are not. Mathematical modelling shows that early-life effects can be adaptive in environments that have particular statistical properties, such as reliable cues to current conditions and high autocorrelation of environmental states. However, few empirical studies have measured these properties, leading to an impasse. Progress, therefore, depends on research that quantifies cue reliability and autocorrelation of environmental parameters in real environments. These statistics may be different for social and non-social aspects of the environment. In this paper, we summarize evolutionary models of early-life effects. Then, we discuss empirical data on environmental statistics from a range of disciplines. We highlight cases where data on environmental statistics have been used to test competing explanations of early-life effects. We conclude by providing guidelines for new data collection and reflections on future directions. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Developing differences: early-life effects and evolutionary medicine'.

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Integrating evolution into medical education for women’s health care practitioners

Evolution Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.1093/emph/eoaa009 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 (1) ◽

pp. 60-67

Author(s):

Michael L Power ◽

Carrie Snead ◽

Eda G Reed ◽

Jay Schulkin

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Medical Education ◽

Women’S Health ◽

Women's Health ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Evolutionary Medicine ◽

Evolutionary Perspective ◽

Care Providers ◽

Female Reproduction ◽

Women's Health Care

Abstract Evolution is a fundamental principle in biology; however, it has been neglected in medical education. We argue that an evolutionary perspective is especially important for women’s health care providers, as selection will act strongly on reproductive parameters, and the biological costs of female reproduction are generally more resource expensive than for men (e.g. due to gestation and lactation) with greater effects on health and wellbeing. An evolutionary perspective is needed to understand antibiotic resistance, disease and health risks associated with mismatches between our evolved adaptations and current conditions, the importance of the microbiome and the maternal role in how infants acquire and develop their early-life microbiome (vaginal birth, lactation), and the importance of breastmilk as a biochemical signal from mothers to their babies. We present data that obstetrician–gynecologists’ views regarding the inclusion of evolution within their training is generally positive, but many barriers are perceived. Requiring coursework in evolutionary biology with an emphasis on evolutionary medicine prior to enrollment in medical school may be a solution.

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