Early-life reproduction is associated with increased mortality risk but enhanced lifetime fitness in pre-industrial humans

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
Adam D HaywardV Lummaa

Abstract

The physiology of reproductive senescence in women is well understood, but the drivers of variation in senescence rates are less so. Evolutionary theory predicts that early-life investment in reproduction should be favoured by selection at the cost of reduced survival and faster reproductive senescence. We tested this hypothesis using data collected from preindustrial Finnish church records. Reproductive success increased up to age 25 and was relatively stable until a decline from age 41. Women with higher early-life fecundity (ELF; producing more children before age 25) subsequently had higher mortality risk, but high ELF was not associated with accelerated senescence in annual breeding success. However, women with higher ELF experienced faster senescence in offspring survival. Despite these apparent costs, ELF was under positive selection: individuals with higher ELF had higher lifetime reproductive success. These results are consistent with previous observations in both humans and wild vertebrates that more births and earlier onset of reproduction are associated with reduced survival, and with evolutionary theory predicting trade-offs between early reproduction and later-life survival. The results are particularly significan...Continue Reading

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Citations

May 3, 2015·Fertility and Sterility·Alain Gagnon
Sep 15, 2015·Scientific Reports·Hannah S MumbyVirpi Lummaa
Feb 13, 2019·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Emily M Tompkins, David J Anderson
Sep 15, 2017·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Ruben C ArslanLars Penke
Nov 25, 2016·Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology·Joanna SudykaMariusz Cichoń
Aug 26, 2017·Scientific Reports·Anni HämäläinenStan Boutin
Feb 20, 2020·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Mathieu DouhardFanie Pelletier
Mar 5, 2016·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Sandra HamelJean-Michel Gaillard
Jun 19, 2016·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·A NitschC Faurie
Nov 4, 2020·Biology Letters·Ryan SchachtFernando Morales
Dec 7, 2018·Journal of Human Evolution·Maria A van NoordwijkErik P Willems

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