Natural selection in industrialized countries: a study of three generations of Italian newborns.
We have studied the impact of natural selection on the Italian population, analysing the relationship between stillbirth and three related variables: birth weight, birth order and maternal age. A progressive relaxation of selection with time has been demonstrated by the reduction of the Haldane index calculated with respect to the three variables.
Ulizzi
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L
Dipartimento di Genetica e Biologia Molecolare C. Darwin, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. ulizzi@axcasp.caspur.it
Astolfi
P
P
Zonta
L A
LA
D001722:Birth Order; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005313:Fetal Death; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D012641:Selection, Genetic