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Anthropology 357 > Week 6 > Flashcards

Week 6 Flashcards

1
Q

Who was the person to propose the evolutionary concept of the life cycle?

A

John Bonner

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2
Q

How is evolution involved in changing life history?

A

Alters life cycles through time

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3
Q

How are genetics involved in changing life history?

A

Inheritance of mechanisms between life cycles - how you inherit a particular life cycle

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4
Q

How is development involved in changing life history?

A

Cause changes in structure which may happen during one life cycle

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5
Q

(1) is the central unit to biology

A

Life cycle

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6
Q

What are the 2 pillars of life history theory

A
  1. Resources (and therefore energy) need to be obtained and divided amongst competing tissues
  2. The optimal pattern of what you spend energy on changes in your lifespan (e.g. don’t devote energy to reproduction in childhood)
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7
Q

Give some examples of ways we can measure investment in a particular function

A

Birth weight, age at sexual maturity, lifespan, litter size, adult body size

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8
Q

Which are the 4 main biological functions which compete for energy?

A

Growth
Reproduction
Defense (immune system, guarding)
Maintenance (implicated in chronic disease!)

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9
Q

Describe how maintenance is involved in chronic disease

A

Maintenance is the least important of the 4 biological necessities, when the body’s energy reserves are limited (e.g. when undernourished) maintenance will be sacrificed at the expense of something else, may lead to chronic disease

The body’s only overall goal is to reproduce

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10
Q

When are fast life histories an optimal strategy?

A

Disease/predation (mortality) high

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11
Q

Fast life strategies are called (R/K)

A

R-strategy

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12
Q

Slow life strategies are called (R/K)

A

K

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13
Q

When the environment is unpredictable, it might be beneficial to be (R/K selected)

A

R-selected

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14
Q

When the environment is stable, it might be beneficial to be (R/K selected)

A

K-selected

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15
Q

Describe the investment in reproduction in R-strategy species

A

Environment unpredictable: pump out babies

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16
Q

Describe the investment in reproduction in K-strategy species

A

Invest in one or two quality offspring, might hold off on having them depending on environment

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17
Q

Why aren’t rabbits big?

A

They don’t invest much energy in growth, doesn’t make sense to grow bigger

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18
Q

A large animal is more likely to be (R/K strategy)

A

K strategy

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19
Q

Which of the 4 biological investment areas when highly invested in tends to give long, healthy lifespan

A

Maintenance

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20
Q

When environmental mortality is high, maintenance is inversely proportional to…

A

Reproductive rate

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21
Q

What is a key determinant on lifespan length?

A

Mortality risk

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22
Q

Describe the example with the guppies in Trinidad

A

2 groups of the same species of guppies geographically isolated by a waterfall: Above waterfall (upstream) = safer, downstream = less safe

Upstream guppies grow slower and breed later
Downstream guppies grow faster and breed earlier

Transplant downstream guppies upstream: Slower life history emerges

Transplant predators upstream: Faster life history emerges

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23
Q

The example of life history in the guppies demonstrates that…

A

Life history can exhibit plasticity - life history can evolve

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24
Q

Describe the evolutionary strategy behind compensatory/catch up growth

A

“Grow now pay later” - a short-term strategy for survival, it is beneficial in a high-mortality environment

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25
Q

Which of the 4 biological spending areas gets priority over all others when it is being highly invested in?

A

Immune defense: if not you die

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26
Q

How does living in a high disease risk area affect growth?

A

If immune system is running: so expensive, taking away energy for growth: capacity is lower in early life (if affected at that time), etc.

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27
Q

When is an example of a time when it is not beneficial to turn on immune function?

A

While pregnant: pregnancy requires SO much energy – increases risk of disease!

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28
Q

As a fetus grows inside a mother, how does her risk for malaria change?

A

Increases as the baby ages: mother’s risk peaks during lactation

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29
Q

Why might giving vitamins to a malnourished group of people not make them better?

A

Depending on what their circumstances are, that energy might go to different functions, like reproduction or immunity: may remain malnourished

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30
Q

Describe the investment in offspring as number of offspring increases

A

When there are more offspring, each one receives less care

31
Q

Describe the lifespan of humans with more kids

A

They tend to not live as long

32
Q

Describe the biology of sibling rivalries

A

You are only share 50% of your genes with your sibling: will compete with them for attention (investment) from parents

33
Q

What does hPL do? (3)
Where is it secreted?

A

Human placental lactogen - secreted by placenta

Increases maternal blood glucose
reduces maternal glucose usage
increases maternal lipolysis (using energy from fatty acids)

34
Q

Describe the effect of hPL on the pancreas

A

A healthy pancreas can withstand hPL, but a compromised one (like one which was poorly set up during hyperplasic growth) may be less equipped to deal with it: can lead to gestational diabetes

35
Q

If hPL is being secreted in large amounts, what happens to the fetus?

A

Fetus might grow too large: difficulty coming out leading to decreased capacity: increased risk for obesity

36
Q

The body’s “savings account” is…

A

Adipose tissue

37
Q

Why don’t all animals have a “savings account” in the form of fat?

A

E.g. birds, would have to fly around with extra weight, spend more energy than the fat is worth

38
Q

What are income and capitol breeders?

A

Income: eat to pay for reproduction
Capitol: acquire surplus energy before reproduction to pay for it

39
Q

What is the primary cellular switch for deciding where energy gets invested?

A

Insulin! Cells can alter their sensitivity to insulin

40
Q

What organ is referred to as our “risk management organ”

A

2: brain and fat!

41
Q

Adipose tissue is a powerful solution to… (4)

A
  1. Buffering stochasticity in energy supply
  2. Buffering brain growth
  3. Thermoregulation
  4. Immune function
42
Q

Which kinds of birds tend to pack on fat?

A

Migratory birds: need to have energy for migration!

43
Q

Why is it very important for bears to put on fat in the fall?

A

Go into hibernation: females will give birth and lactate during hibernation: so need TONS of energy for this

44
Q

Typically, other than humans, mammals with large brains will have (a little/a lot of) adipose tissue

A

A little

45
Q

How does adipose tissue provide energy for life history functions? (2)

A
  1. Signalling pathways about energy availability and requirements (leptin)
  2. involved in allocating energy between functions (responds to signals for tissues which require energy, releasing triglycerides to specific locations)
46
Q

Adipose tissue secretes these 3 things which determine where energy goes in the body

A

Pro-inflammatory cytokines
Anti-inflammatory cytokines
Growth factors

47
Q

Which hormone secreted by adipose tissue makes the tissues more sensitive to insulin?

A

Adiponectin

48
Q

Where are receptors for adiponectin?

A

Ovaries, testes, endometrium

49
Q

Adiponectin causes the allocation of energy towards this function

A

Reproduction

50
Q

Which of the 2 human risk-management systems is best for buffering short-term stress?

A

Brain: fight or flight

51
Q

Which of the 2 human risk-management systems is best for buffering long-term stress?

A

Adipose: energy store

52
Q

Why is adipose tissue considered to be a “second brain”?

A

Adipose tissue signals to brain to get it to secrete hormones: act in conjunction with the brain to steer life history

53
Q

What is neural peptide Y (NPY)?

A

Plays a role in stimulating appetite

54
Q

During what stage of development do humans start depositing body fat? When do most mammals start depositing fat?

A

The third trimester

After birth

55
Q

How much of a human baby’s body is body fat?

A

15%

56
Q

Why do humans have high adiposity at birth? (2)

A
  1. To buffer the heightened energy needs of the brain at this age
  2. This is also the time we are most sensitive to the environment: need energy stores for growth and immune function
57
Q

Visceral fat is usually bad, but is helpful for…

A

Running immune system: releases cytokines

58
Q

Describe the characteristic body fat pattern involved in HIV/AIDS

A

Body tends to redistribute subcutaneous fat and place it viscerally

59
Q

Describe the different thermoregulation properties for White adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT)

A

WAT: Thicker layer of subcutaneous fat = better insulative layer
BAT: heat-generating fat: convert food energy directly into heat

60
Q

Which kinds of fat are WAT?

A

Visceral and subcutaneous

61
Q

What kinds of fat are BAT?

A

It’s its own specialized kind of heat-producing fat cell

62
Q

Why do infants have more BAT than adults?

A

Infant humans can’t shiver: need BAT to keep them warm

63
Q

Brown adipose tissue is packed with this kind of organelle

A

Mitochondria

64
Q

What is special about the mitochondria of BAT cells?

A

Have uncoupling proteins which disrupt the ETC and result in the release of energy from the chain as heat

65
Q

Why is brown fat brown-coloured?

A

Packed with mitochondria

66
Q

How does BAT play a role in preventing obesity?

A

So energetically expensive, lowers blood glucose levels

67
Q

What effect on obesity did transplanting BAT in mice have?

A

Mice were less obese

68
Q

In what order did the following evolve: UCPs (uncoupling proteins), WAT, adipocytes, BAT

A

Adipocytes (fat stored in organs) > WAT (fat becomes an organ) > UCPs > BAT (evolved to take advantage of UCPs)

69
Q

Which hormone appears evolutionarily at the same time as WAT?

A

Leptin

70
Q

Which kinds of animals have BAT?

A

Only mammals

71
Q

The strongest selection pressure for altering life history is…

A

A lack of clear ecological signals: volatile environment – lack of something to adapt to, which is why we have a double risk management system

72
Q

Why might women be more evolutionarily adapted to extreme long-distance running?

A

Are better able to access fat energy stores due to estrogen: estrogen promotes the storage of glucose and lipolysis of fatty acids

73
Q

How do humans deviate from the ape pattern of life history? (3)

A

Extended maturation
Extreme longevity and short inter-birth intervals
Large brains and high adipose tissue

Anthropology 357 (9 decks)

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