Module ANTH3477: Evolutionary Medicine: Life-History Theory

Department: Anthropology

ANTH3477: Evolutionary Medicine: Life-History Theory

Prerequisites

• (ANTH 2071) Our Place in Nature OR (ANTH 2061) Evolution Variation and Adaptation OR (ANTH 2011) Ecology, Genomics & Health OR (ANTH 2111) Sex, Reproduction & Love

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To introduce evolutionary life-history theory, and elucidate the pivotal role of the trade-off in life history.
• To detail the central role that life-history theory can play in understanding biological variation and processes.
• To examine how life-history theory connects evolutionary biology and ecology with inequalities in health and well-being within and between contemporary populations.
• To draw out connections between diverse applied and theoretical approaches to human health and wellbeing within the explanatory framework of life-history theory.
• To build on knowledge introduced in the second year modules Our Place in Nature; Evolution, Variation and Adaptation and / or Ecology, Genomics and Health.

Content

• Life-history perspectives on pathologies.
• Human life-history in comparative perspective.
• Life-history variation between and within human populations.
• Individual strategies.
• Evolutionary perspectives on the developmental of origins or health, disease and well-being.
• Adaptive developmental plasticity
• Evolutionary explanations for ageing.
• Programming of long life.
• Stressors and the stress response.
• Isolation, loneliness, caring and well-being.
• Post reproductive lifespan and biocultural reproduction.
• Intergenerational capital transfers, socio-economic inequality, health and well-being.

Learning Outcomes

• Factual Material: Familiarity with how fundamental concepts of life-history theory logically follow directly from Darwinian / neo-Darwinian models of evolution by natural selection; how individual variation in human health today may be illuminated by a life-history perspective.
• Acquaintance with the latest developments and debates occurring at the intersections between epidemiology, biomedical science and evolutionary biology.
• Appreciate the importance of critically evaluating multiple competing hypotheses when establishing the evolutionary reasons for biological variation.

• Apply an interdisciplinary approach to key concepts, bringing together different bodies of knowledge.
• Awareness of the importance of basic scientific research to solving real world problems.
• Awareness of the socio-cultural context surrounding the concepts covered.

• Written communication
• Critical thinking
• Evaluation of competing hypotheses
• Ability to compose a written argument

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures introduce students to subject-specific knowledge.
• Seminars and classes cover subject-specific knowledge and develop subject-specific skills and key skills.  Students will be expected to synthesise and critically evaluate material from lectures and their own reading to discuss topics covered in seminars.
• Assessment tests subject-specific knowledge, subject specific skills and key skills.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Essay/Review Draft, undertaken individually by students.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University