Human Population Biology: A Transdisciplinary Science

Human Population Biology is a careful integration of the social and biological sciences, drawing on anthropology, biology, human ecology and medicine to provide a comprehensive understanding of how our species adapts to natural and man-made environments. The book's chapters fall into five parts. In Part I, techniques to adapt and apply large-scale demographic methods to smaller populations, particularly important for studying non-Western populations, are presented. In Part II, the relationship of medical genetics to human adaptability and patterns of disease epidemiology in small, non-Western populations are discussed. In Part III work capacity, climatic stress and nutrition are covered. In Part IV methods for growth assessment and prediction are presented and ageing is addressed. The final section, Part V, presents integrated case studies of human adaptation to high altitude, and patterns of modernization and stress resulting from cultural change.

Table of Contents

Michael A. Little & Jere D. Haas: Human population biology and the concept of transdisciplinarity; Paul W. Leslie & Timothy B. Gage: Demography and human population biology: problems and progress; Timothy B. Gage, John M. McCullough, Charles A. Weitz, James Dutt & Andrew Abelson: Demographic studies and human population biology; Charles Hoff, Ralph M. Garruto & Norris Durham: Human adaptability and medical genetics; Ralph M. Garruto, Anthony B. Way, Shelley Zansky & Charles Hoff: Natural experimental models in human biology, epidemiology and clinical medicine; Charles A. Weitz, Lawrence P. Greksa, R. Brooke Thomas & Cynthia M. Beall: An anthropological perspective on the study of work capacity; Joel M. Hanna, Michael A. Little & Donald M. Austin: Climatic physiology; Jere D. Haas & David L. Pelletier: Nutrition and human population biology; Ivan G. Pawson, C. Carol Ballew & James R. Bindon: New perspectives and directions in human biology and growth; Cynthia M. Beall & Charles A. Weitz: The human population biology of ageing; A. Roberto Frisancho & Lawrence P. Greksa: Developmental responses in the acquisition of functional adaptation to high altitude; Lawrence P. Greksa & Cynthia M. Beall: Development of chest size and lung function at high altitude; C. Carol Ballew, Ralph M. Garruto & Jere D. Haas: High-altitude hematology: paradigm or enigma?; Stephen T. McGarvey, James R. Bindon, Douglas E. Crews & Diana Schendel: Modernization and adiposity: causes and consequences; Gary D. James, Douglas E. Crews & Jay Pearson: Catecholamines and stress; R. Brooke Thomas, Timothy B. Cage & Michael A. Little: Reflections on adaptive and ecological models.

Table Of Contents