Nutritional requirements and human evolution: A bioenergetics model

American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council
W R Leonard, Marcia L Robertson

Abstract

A bioenergetics model is developed to examine changes in metabolic requirements over the course of human evolution. Data on (1) body size and resting metabolism, (2) brain size and metabolism, (3) activity budgets, and (4) foraging patterns for humans and other anthropoids are used to evaluate ecological correlates of variation in diet and energy expenditure. Analyses of variation in these extant species provide a framework for estimating (1) resting metabolic requirements, (2) brain metabolic needs, and (3) total energy requirements in fossil hominids. Anthropoid primates spend about 8% of resting metabolism to maintain their brains, a significantly larger proportion than in other mammals (3-4%), but still significantly less than 20-25% in humans. Total energy expenditure among anthropoids is positively correlated with day range and dietary quality. Human foragers fit this pattern, having high levels of energy expenditure, large foraging ranges, and a high quality diet. Within the fossil record, it appears that both total energy expenditure (TEE) and energy required by the brain increased substantially with the emergence of Homo erectus. For H. erectus, the percentage of resting metabolism used by the brain falls beyond the no...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1978·Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·P C Wright
Jan 1, 1979·Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·J Raemaekers
Feb 12, 1976·Nature·K Milton, M L May
Mar 1, 1990·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·C C PetersonJ Diamond
Nov 1, 1989·Nutrition Reviews·S M Garn, W R Leonard
Jan 31, 1985·The New England Journal of Medicine·S B Eaton, M Konner
Oct 6, 1988·Nature·A D Beynon, M C Dean
Jan 1, 1988·International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics·J RosenmanJ Newsome
May 1, 1987·The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition·A Leaf, P C Weber
Dec 1, 1986·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·J A Kurland, J D Pearson
Dec 22, 1972·Nature·K Hiemae, R F Kay
Jan 12, 1973·Science·C R Taylor, V J Rowntree
Jun 15, 1970·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology·V A Tucker
Jan 1, 1967·Journal of Applied Physiology·B W GoldstoneF E Steffens
Jan 1, 1967·Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·P Morrison, E H Middleton
Sep 1, 1971·Journal of Applied Physiology·T NakayamaE Tadaki
Jul 1, 1970·The American Journal of Physiology·D W Proppe, C C Gale
Oct 1, 1970·The American Journal of Physiology·C R TaylorJ L Raab
Jan 1, 1983·British Journal of Haematology·N Colas-LinhartB Bok
Jun 17, 1983·Science·E Armstrong
Jan 1, 1980·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·P S Rodman, H M McHenry
Nov 1, 1980·Journal of Applied Physiology: Respiratory, Environmental and Exercise Physiology·S A Mahoney
Oct 1, 1950·The Biological Bulletin·P F SCHOLANDERL IRVING
Jan 1, 1990·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Jay D Pearson

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Feb 1, 1997·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·W R Leonard, M L Robertson
Oct 9, 2001·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·W R Leonard, M L Robertson
Dec 11, 2003·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Susan C Antón
Mar 27, 2018·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Darna L Dufour, Barbara A Piperata
Mar 18, 2004·American Journal of Primatology·S R Leigh
May 16, 2002·Headache·Stephen J Peroutka
Aug 31, 2002·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Leslie C Aiello, Cathy Key
Aug 31, 2002·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Catherine Panter-Brick
Aug 31, 2002·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Stanley J Ulijaszek
Jun 16, 2001·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·J S Peccei
Sep 1, 2018·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Edwin DickinsonKornelius Kupczik
Nov 30, 2007·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Jonathan C K Wells, Jay T Stock
Jan 1, 1992·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·George H Beaton
Jan 1, 1994·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·P T KatzmarzykR I Sukernik
Jan 1, 1994·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·William R Leonard, Marcia L Robertson
Mar 2, 2019·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Arianna R HarringtonDoug M Boyer
Jul 20, 2005·Diabetes/metabolism Research and Reviews·S R Stannard, N A Johnson
Nov 10, 2004·International Journal of Obesity : Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity·M HayesS B Heymsfield
Jul 1, 1995·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·W R Leonard, M L Robertson
Sep 18, 1998·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·P A Kramer
Dec 18, 2004·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Thomas Plummer
Jan 1, 1996·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Barry Bogin, B Holly Smith
Nov 20, 1998·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·S R Leigh, P B Park
Aug 5, 2020·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Emilie C Snell-RoodElizabeth T Borer
Jan 9, 1999·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·C W Kuzawa
Sep 24, 2010·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Bernard J Crespi
Oct 24, 2012·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Karina Fonseca-Azevedo, Suzana Herculano-Houzel
Jan 26, 2016·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Sabrina C Agarwal
Jun 19, 2019·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Christopher W Kuzawa, Clancy Blair
Jan 1, 1996·American Journal of Primatology·Jay R KaplanMatthew F Muldoon
Apr 19, 2007·Annual Review of Nutrition·William R LeonardMarcia L Robertson
Aug 8, 2008·Child's Nervous System : ChNS : Official Journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery·Emiliano Bruner, Shahram Sherkat
May 1, 2002·Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics·Karen N Hufnagl, Stephen J Peroutka
Jun 27, 2012·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Susanne ShultzRobin I M Dunbar
May 4, 2011·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Felicia C MadimenosLawrence S Sugiyama
May 3, 2013·PloS One·Joseph V FerraroRichard Potts
Sep 24, 2010·The British Journal of Nutrition·Remko S KuipersFrits A J Muskiet
Jul 18, 2014·TheScientificWorldJournal·Eric J Chaisson
Aug 27, 2014·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Christopher W KuzawaNicholas Lange
Jun 15, 2016·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·M Christopher Dean
Jun 19, 2019·Nature Ecology & Evolution·David B PattersonRené Bobe
Apr 9, 2008·Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease·S KölkerJ G Okun
May 9, 2006·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Jonathan C K Wells
Mar 6, 2012·Human Nature : an Interdisciplinary Biosocial Perspective·Karen L Kramer, Russell D Greaves

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

American Journal of Physical Anthropology
W R Leonard, M L Robertson
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Molecular & Integrative Physiology
W R LeonardChristopher W Kuzawa
Annual Review of Nutrition
W R LeonardMarcia L Robertson
© 2022 Meta ULC. All rights reserved