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Biology
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Evolutionary Insights into Life History
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Evolutionary Insights into Life History

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Evolutionary Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 9157

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Thomas Colard

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. PACEA, UMR 5199 CNRS, Bordeaux University, Bordeaux, France
2. Oral and MaxilloFacial Radiology Department, Lille University, 59160 Lille, France
Interests: human evolution; evolutionary developemental biology; craniofacial and dental growth and development
Dr. Adeline Le Cabec

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. PACEA -UMR 5199, Bordeaux University, 33000 Bordeaux, France
2. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Interests: human evolution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mammals’ life cycles are punctuated by major milestones, among which are weaning, sexual maturity, reproduction fitness, and lifespan. Together with the pattern and timing of growth and development, these traits define what is termed “life history”. Among primates, modern humans show a uniquely extended life history. Their particular pattern is characterized by slow and prolonged growth and development, involving specific ontogenic stages known as childhood and adolescence. The modern human life cycle is also unique in implying first reproduction at a relatively late age, menopause for females in late adulthood, and an exceptionally long lifespan among primates. Several advantages could result from this unusual pace of development, such as an extended period for brain growth and maturation, the acquisition of technical skills, and the socialization and development of complex social roles. As the correlation between ontogeny and phylogeny becomes better understood, evolutionary developmental biology concepts (EvoDevo) are especially relevant in exploring the variability in life history.

Yet, this extended life cycle may come with non-negligible drawbacks in humans. A prolonged period of exposition to an unfavorable environment at an early stage of life crucial for the survival of the individual may favor the appearance of “mismatch” diseases. This constitutes one of the major challenges in evolutionary medicine, entailing investigation of the interaction between evolution, development and growth patterns, environment, and health (e.g., diseases).

Recent advances in paleobiology and the emergence of new investigation techniques have led to a substantial increase in the corpus of studies exploring the interplay between ontogeny and life history, especially in past populations. Among these new analytical tools are imaging techniques that are either totally or partially nondestructive—propagation phase contrast synchrotron radiation micro-CT and synchrotron X-ray fluorescence, respectively—enabling the study of precious human fossil remains. Most palaeobiological data are derived from the analysis of preserved hard mineralized tissues, especially bone and teeth. Interestingly, recent breakthroughs in ancient DNA analyses have enabled further exploration in the evolution of micro-organisms and improved our understanding of the evolution of infectious diseases and their relationship with the development and complexification of human societies.

In this Special Issue, we aim to address the following research questions:

  1. How can the study of bone and tooth hard tissues unveil the evolution of life history in fossil and extant hominids?
  2. How can ancient DNA bring new insights into life history studies?
  3. How can an EvoDevo approach to ontogeny enrich our understanding of life history?
  4. How can the study of the interaction between genotype, phenotype, and environment contribute to our understanding of match/mismatch diseases from an evolutionary medicine standpoint?

Original research articles and reviews are welcome. We are looking forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Colard
Dr. Adeline Le Cabec
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • human evolution
  • evolutionary developemental biology

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 8533 KiB  
Article
Mammalian Life History: Weaning and Tooth Emergence in a Seasonal World
by B. Holly Smith
Biology 2024, 13(8), 612; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13080612 - 12 Aug 2024
Viewed by 660
Abstract
The young of toothed mammals must have teeth to reach feeding independence. How tooth eruption integrates with gestation, birth and weaning is examined in a life-history perspective for 71 species of placental mammals. Questions developed from high-quality primate data are then addressed in [...] Read more.
The young of toothed mammals must have teeth to reach feeding independence. How tooth eruption integrates with gestation, birth and weaning is examined in a life-history perspective for 71 species of placental mammals. Questions developed from high-quality primate data are then addressed in the total sample. Rather than correlation, comparisons focus on equivalence, sequence, the relation to absolutes (six months, one year), the distribution of error and adaptive extremes. These mammals differ widely at birth, from no teeth to all deciduous teeth emerging, but commonalities appear when infants transit to independent feeding. Weaning follows completion of the deciduous dentition, closest in time to emergence of the first permanent molars and well before second molars emerge. Another layer of meaning appears when developmental age is counted from conception because the total time to produce young feeding independently comes up against seasonal boundaries that are costly to cross for reproductive fitness. Mammals of a vast range of sizes and taxa, from squirrel monkey to moose, hold conception-to-first molars in just under one year. Integrating tooth emergence into life history gives insight into living mammals and builds a framework for interpreting the fossil record. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evolutionary Insights into Life History)
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15 pages, 2455 KiB  
Article
Obstetrical Constraints and the Origin of Extended Postnatal Brain Maturation in Hominin Evolution
by Pierre Frémondière, Martin Haeusler, Lionel Thollon, Nicole M. Webb and François Marchal
Biology 2024, 13(6), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13060398 - 31 May 2024
Viewed by 568
Abstract
The origin of difficult birth is still a matter of debate in obstetrics. Recent studies hypothesized that early hominins already experienced obstructed labor even with reduced neonatal head sizes. The aim of this work is to test this hypothesis using an extant obstetrical [...] Read more.
The origin of difficult birth is still a matter of debate in obstetrics. Recent studies hypothesized that early hominins already experienced obstructed labor even with reduced neonatal head sizes. The aim of this work is to test this hypothesis using an extant obstetrical sample with known delivery outcomes. Three delivery outcomes (i.e., instrument-assisted, Caesarean section, and vaginal birth) were evaluated using a discriminant analysis based on 131 mother–baby dyads and 36 feto-pelvic variables. This obstetrical sample was compared with 20 australopithecine “dyads” generated from the combination of six pelvic reconstructions (three for Australopithecus afarensis, two for A. africanus, and one for A. sediba) and three fetal head size estimations. The obstetrical analysis revealed that dystocic births can be predicted by pelvic features such as an anteroposteriorly flattened pelvic inlet. Australopithecines shared these pelvic morphologies with humans and had eutocic birth only for infants of 110 g brain size or smaller, equaling a human-like neonatal/adult brain size ratio of 25–28%. Although birth mechanism cannot be deduced, the newborn/adult brain size ratio was likely more human-like than previously thought, suggesting that australopithecines were secondarily altricial to circumvent instances of obstructed labor and subsequently require a prolonged postnatal brain growth period, implying some aspects of life history pattern similar to modern humans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evolutionary Insights into Life History)
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32 pages, 7408 KiB  
Article
Unraveling the Life History of Past Populations through Hypercementosis: Insights into Cementum Apposition Patterns and Possible Etiologies Using Micro-CT and Confocal Microscopy
by Léa Massé, Emmanuel d’Incau, Antoine Souron, Nicolas Vanderesse, Frédéric Santos, Bruno Maureille and Adeline Le Cabec
Biology 2024, 13(1), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13010043 - 13 Jan 2024
Viewed by 2518
Abstract
The “teeth-as-tools” hypothesis posits that Neanderthals used their anterior teeth as a tool or a third hand for non-dietary purposes. These non- or para-masticatory activities (e.g., tool-making or food preparation prior to ingestion) have also been described in other past and extant human [...] Read more.
The “teeth-as-tools” hypothesis posits that Neanderthals used their anterior teeth as a tool or a third hand for non-dietary purposes. These non- or para-masticatory activities (e.g., tool-making or food preparation prior to ingestion) have also been described in other past and extant human populations, and other Primates. Cementum is the mineralized tissue that covers the tooth root surface and anchors it to the alveolar bone. Under certain conditions (e.g., mechanical stress, infection), its production becomes excessive (i.e., beyond the physiological state) and is called ‘hypercementosis’. Several studies in dental anthropology have established a correlation between the teeth-as-tools and hypercementosis. The present work aims to characterize the different patterns of cementum apposition on archeological teeth and discuss their supposed etiology. Using microtomography and confocal microscopy, the patterns of cementum apposition (i.e., thickness, location, and surface characteristics) were analyzed in 35 hypercementotic teeth (Sains-en-Gohelle, France; 7th–17th c. A.D.). Four groups were identified with distinct hypercementosis patterns: (1) impacted, (2) infected, (3) hypofunctional, and (4) hyperfunctional teeth. Characterizing hypercementosis can contribute to documenting the oral health status (paleopathology) and/or masticatory activity of individuals, even from isolated teeth. This has implications for the study of fossil hominins, particularly Neanderthals, known for their use of anterior teeth as tools and frequent and substantial occurrence of hypercementosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evolutionary Insights into Life History)
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34 pages, 11952 KiB  
Article
The Distribution and Biogenic Origins of Zinc in the Mineralised Tooth Tissues of Modern and Fossil Hominoids: Implications for Life History, Diet and Taphonomy
by M. Christopher Dean, Jan Garrevoet, Stijn J. M. Van Malderen, Frédéric Santos, Marta Mirazón Lahr, Robert Foley and Adeline Le Cabec
Biology 2023, 12(12), 1455; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12121455 - 21 Nov 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1655
Abstract
Zinc is incorporated into enamel, dentine and cementum during tooth growth. This work aimed to distinguish between the processes underlying Zn incorporation and Zn distribution. These include different mineralisation processes, the physiological events around birth, Zn ingestion with diet, exposure to the oral [...] Read more.
Zinc is incorporated into enamel, dentine and cementum during tooth growth. This work aimed to distinguish between the processes underlying Zn incorporation and Zn distribution. These include different mineralisation processes, the physiological events around birth, Zn ingestion with diet, exposure to the oral environment during life and diagenetic changes to fossil teeth post-mortem. Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence (SXRF) was used to map zinc distribution across longitudinal polished ground sections of both deciduous and permanent modern human, great ape and fossil hominoid teeth. Higher resolution fluorescence intensity maps were used to image Zn in surface enamel, secondary dentine and cementum, and at the neonatal line (NNL) and enamel–dentine–junction (EDJ) in deciduous teeth. Secondary dentine was consistently Zn-rich, but the highest concentrations of Zn (range 197–1743 ppm) were found in cuspal, mid-lateral and cervical surface enamel and were similar in unerupted teeth never exposed to the oral environment. Zinc was identified at the NNL and EDJ in both modern and fossil deciduous teeth. In fossil specimens, diagenetic changes were identified in various trace element distributions but only demineralisation appeared to markedly alter Zn distribution. Zinc appears to be tenacious and stable in fossil tooth tissues, especially in enamel, over millions of years. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evolutionary Insights into Life History)
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23 pages, 9276 KiB  
Article
Using SXRF and LA-ICP-TOFMS to Explore Evidence of Treatment and Physiological Responses to Leprosy in Medieval Denmark
by Anastasia Brozou, Marcello A. Mannino, Stijn J. M. Van Malderen, Jan Garrevoet, Eric Pubert, Benjamin T. Fuller, M. Christopher Dean, Thomas Colard, Frédéric Santos, Niels Lynnerup, Jesper L. Boldsen, Marie Louise Jørkov, Andrei Dorian Soficaru, Laszlo Vincze and Adeline Le Cabec
Biology 2023, 12(2), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12020184 - 25 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2790
Abstract
Leprosy can lead to blood depletion in Zn, Ca, Mg, and Fe and blood enrichment in Cu. In late medieval Europe, minerals were used to treat leprosy. Here, physiological responses to leprosy and possible evidence of treatment are investigated in enamel, dentine, and [...] Read more.
Leprosy can lead to blood depletion in Zn, Ca, Mg, and Fe and blood enrichment in Cu. In late medieval Europe, minerals were used to treat leprosy. Here, physiological responses to leprosy and possible evidence of treatment are investigated in enamel, dentine, and cementum of leprosy sufferers from medieval Denmark (n = 12) and early 20th century Romania (n = 2). Using SXRF and LA-ICP-TOFMS, 12 elements were mapped in 15 tooth thin sections, and the statistical covariation of paired elements was computed to assess their biological relevance. The results show marked covariations in the Zn, Ca, and Mg distributions, which are compatible with clinical studies but cannot be directly attributed to leprosy. Minerals used historically as a treatment for leprosy show no detectable intake (As, Hg) or a diffuse distribution (Pb) related to daily ingestion. Intense Pb enrichments indicate acute incorporations of Pb, potentially through the administration of Pb-enriched medication or the mobilization of Pb from bone stores to the bloodstream during intense physiological stress related to leprosy. However, comparisons with a healthy control group are needed to ascertain these interpretations. The positive correlations and the patterns observed between Pb and essential elements may indicate underlying pathophysiological conditions, demonstrating the potential of SXRF and LA-ICP-TOFMS for paleopathological investigations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evolutionary Insights into Life History)
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