title: Growth rates and life histories in twenty-two small-scale societies.
abstract: This study investigates variation in body growth (cross-sectional height and weight velocity) among a sample of 22 small-scale societies. Considerable variation in growth exists among hunter-gatherers that overlaps heavily with growth trajectories present in groups focusing more on horticulture. Intergroup variation tends to track environmental conditions, with societies under more favorable conditions displaying faster growth and earlier puberty. In addition, faster/earlier development in females is correlated with higher mortality. For example, African "Pygmies," Philippine "Negritos," and the Hiwi of Venezuela are characterized by relatively fast child-juvenile growth for their adult body size (used as a proxy for energetic availability). In these societies, subadult survival is low, and puberty, menarche, and first reproduction are relatively early (given their adult body size), suggesting selective pressure for accelerated development in the face of higher mortality. In sum, the origin and maintenance of different human ontogenies may require explanations invoking both environmental constraints and selective pressures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87131, USA. robwal@unm.edu
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gurven
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Migliano
authors.forename: Napoleon
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chagnon
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Souza
authors.forename: Gradimir
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Djurovic
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hames
authors.forename: A Magdalena
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hurtado
authors.forename: Hillard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Valeggia
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005007:Ethnology; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends