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Between Scylla and Charybdis: renegotiating resolution of the 'obstetric dilemma' in response to ecological change

(2015) Between Scylla and Charybdis: renegotiating resolution of the 'obstetric dilemma' in response to ecological change. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences , 370 (1663) 10.1098/rstb.2014.0067. Green open access

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Abstract

Hominin evolution saw the emergence of two traits-bipedality and encephalization-that are fundamentally linked because the fetal head must pass through the maternal pelvis at birth, a scenario termed the 'obstetric dilemma'. While adaptive explanations for bipedality and large brains address adult phenotype, it is brain and pelvic growth that are subject to the obstetric dilemma. Many contemporary populations experience substantial maternal and perinatal morbidity/mortality from obstructed labour, yet there is increasing recognition that the obstetric dilemma is not fixed and is affected by ecological change. Ecological trends may affect growth of the pelvis and offspring brain to different extents, while the two traits also differ by a generation in the timing of their exposure. Two key questions arise: how can the fit between the maternal pelvis and the offspring brain be 'renegotiated' as the environment changes, and what nutritional signals regulate this process? I argue that the potential for maternal size to change across generations precludes birthweight being under strong genetic influence. Instead, fetal growth tracks maternal phenotype, which buffers short-term ecological perturbations. Nevertheless, rapid changes in nutritional supply between generations can generate antagonistic influences on maternal and offspring traits, increasing the risk of obstructed labour.

Type: Article
Title: Between Scylla and Charybdis: renegotiating resolution of the 'obstetric dilemma' in response to ecological change
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0067
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0067
Language: English
Keywords: adaptation, birthweight, encephalization, fistula, nutrition transition, obstetric dilemma
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1460207
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