Human Biology Exam 4 - AANT 211 PDF

Human biology in the modern world: Are we still evolving? AANT 211: Human Population Biology Exam 4 December 14 1-3 PM Campus Center Auditorium Same format Same length Material since exam 3 Not cumulative Includes videos Same expectations No notes, no devices, do...

Human biology in the modern world: Are we still evolving? AANT 211: Human Population Biology Exam 4 December 14 1-3 PM Campus Center Auditorium Same format Same length Material since exam 3 Not cumulative Includes videos Same expectations No notes, no devices, don’t sit in the balcony, bring ID, bring pen/pencil  Are Humans Still Evolving? Evolutionary future of our species? Changes in evolutionary pressures Environment Diet Lifestyle Disease  Reduced Selection? Or just changes in selection? Some selection pressures eased Technology Medicine Humans create very comfortable microenvironments Alleles that would have been deleterious in the past could be passed down Myopia Reduced ability to see in focus at long distances “Nearsightedness” Visual acuity more important in evolutionary past Easily corrected with glasses or contacts Selective pressure today? Dental Caries Cavities Environmental and genetic risk Severe periodontal disease and caries could increase mortality risk or be fatal in the past What about today? Untreated caries associated with poor health outcomes Confounded with SES and other factors PKU Inherited metabolic disorder Several allele variants People with PKU lack the enzyme to break down phenylalanine Can be dangerous if builds up in body Special diet required Without intervention causes severe intellectual impairment Since 1960s, widespread testing of infants Type I diabetes “juvenile” diabetes Increasing incidence in recent years Relaxed selective pressure with modern medical advances Type I diabetics did not live long in the past Gene X environment interaction An autoimmune response: Immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, once cells are destroyed the body cannot make insulin Must take insulin to survive Climate and evolution: Are we evolved to be adaptable? Stress Elevated, chronic stress associated with poor outcomes Cardiovascular health Aging Inequality and stress One of the sources of health disparities  Obesity A form of malnutrition Thrifty phenotype Thrifty genotype Food insecurity Metabolic diseases Culture and evolution Culture has affected selective How will it continue to affect pressures future generations of humans? Food production Clothing Housing Technology Education Medicine Understanding human variation Low genetic variability as a species Role of evolutionary forces during human history Can result in adaptations to local conditions (but not guaranteed) Race doesn’t describe human biological variation very well Complex interactions among human biological variation, cultural variation, and the environment