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Cited by 197Animal Behavior and ReproductionEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorEvolution and Genetic Dynamics

Heritability and genetic constraints of life-history trait evolution in preindustrial humans

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Pettay, Jenni E., Kruuk, Loeske E. B., Jokela, Jukka, Lummaa, Virpi·2005·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.0406709102PMC PMC549452
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Abstract

An increasing number of studies have documented phenotypic selection on life-history traits in human populations, but less is known of the heritability and genetic constraints that mediate the response to selection on life-history traits in humans. We collected pedigree data for four generations of preindustrial (1745–1900) Finns who lived in premodern fertility and mortality conditions, and by using a restricted maximum-likelihood animal-model framework, we estimated the heritability of and genetic correlations between a suite of life-history traits and two alternative measures of fitness. First, we demonstrate high heritability of key life-history traits (fecundity, interbirth interval, age at last reproduction, and adult longevity) and measures of fitness (individual λ and lifetime reproductive success) for females but not for males. This sex difference may have arisen because most of the measured traits are under physiological control of the female, such that a male's fitness in monogamous societies may depend mainly on the reproductive quality of his spouse. We found strong positive genetic correlations between female age at first reproduction and longevity, and between interbirth intervals and longevity, suggesting reduced life spans in females who either started to breed relatively early or who then bred frequently. Our results suggest that key female life-history traits in this premodern human population had high heritability and may have responded to natural selection. However genetic constraints between longevity and reproductive life-history traits may have constrained the evolution of life history and facilitated the maintenance of additive genetic variance in key life-history traits.

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  • Human LH traits studied so far show at least moderate heritability.

    “Indeed, all the LH traits studied so far in humans show at least moderate heritability (e.g., Figueredo et al., 2004; Kirk et al., 2001; Pettay et al., 2005; Rodgers et al., 2001).”

    From The Adaptive Calibration Model of stress responsivity (2011) · cites this paper as Pettay et al., 2005

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Authors
Pettay, J. E., Kruuk, L. E. B., Jokela, J., & Lummaa, V.
Affiliations
University of Turku (FI)
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
2005-02-08
Volume
102
Issue
8
Pages
2838-2843
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.0406709102
PMC
PMC549452
OpenAlex
W2168212656
Cited by
197
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 7
FWCI
22.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
Keywords
heritability, genetic correlation, life-history traits, natural selection, genetic constraints, longevity, fecundity, birth interval, age at first reproduction, lifetime reproductive success, sex differences, additive genetic variance, Finns, pedigree data, animal models
MeSH terms
Animals, Biological Evolution, Female, Humans, Male, Reproduction, Selection, Genetic, Sex Characteristics, Genetic Variation, Likelihood Functions, Models, Animal

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