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Cited by 245Evolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorAnimal Behavior and ReproductionEvolution and Genetic Dynamics

Natural selection and quantitative genetics of life-history traits in Western women: a twin study

Kirk, Katherine M., Blomberg, Simon P., Duffy, David L., Heath, Andrew C., Owens, Ian P. F., Martin, Nick G.·2001·Evolution
DOI 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2001.tb01304.x
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Abstract

Whether contemporary human populations are still evolving as a result of natural selection has been hotly debated. For natural selection to cause evolutionary change in a trait, variation in the trait must be correlated with fitness and be genetically heritable and there must be no genetic constraints to evolution. These conditions have rarely been tested in human populations. In this study, data from a large twin cohort were used to assess whether selection will cause a change among women in a contemporary Western population for three life-history traits: age at menarche, age at first reproduction, and age at menopause. We control for temporal variation in fecundity (the "baby boom" phenomenon) and differences between women in educational background and religious affiliation. University-educated women have 35% lower fitness than those with less than seven years education, and Roman Catholic women have about 20% higher fitness than those of other religions. Although these differences were significant, education and religion only accounted for 2% and 1% of variance in fitness, respectively. Using structural equation modeling, we reveal significant genetic influences for all three life-history traits, with heritability estimates of 0.50, 0.23, and 0.45, respectively. However, strong genetic covariation with reproductive fitness could only be demonstrated for age at first reproduction, with much weaker covariation for age at menopause and no significant covariation for age at menarche. Selection may, therefore, lead to the evolution of earlier age at first reproduction in this population. We also estimate substantial heritable variation in fitness itself, with approximately 39% of the variance attributable to additive genetic effects, the remainder consisting of unique environmental effects and small effects from education and religion. We discuss mechanisms that could be maintaining such a high heritability for fitness. Most likely is that selection is now acting on different traits from which it did in pre-industrial human populations.

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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 Kirk et al., 2001

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Authors
Kirk, K. M., Blomberg, S. P., Duffy, D. L., Heath, A. C., Owens, I. P. F., & Martin, N. G.
Affiliations
  • QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute (AU)
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
  • Washington University in St. Louis (US)
ORCID
Venue
Evolution
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2001-02
Volume
55
Issue
2
Pages
423-435
ISSN
  • 0014-3820 (ISSN-L)
  • 1558-5646
DOI
10.1111/j.0014-3820.2001.tb01304.x
OpenAlex
W2168144246
Cited by
245
References
94
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 45 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 5
FWCI
11.49
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
doi.wiley.com/10.1002/tdm_license_1.1 (tdm, 5325 d)
Locations
  • Evolution (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • BioOne Complete (BioOne) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA11998, R01AA007535, AA-07535, AA-07728)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
Keywords
natural selection, human evolution, life-history traits, age at menarche, age at first reproduction, age at menopause, reproductive fitness, heritability, genetic covariance, twin studies, Western women
MeSH terms
Age Factors, Australia, Education, Female, Genetics, Population, Humans, Longevity, Menarche, Menopause, Middle Aged, Phenotype, Physical Fitness, Religion, Reproduction, Selection, Genetic, Twins

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