Evolution of human growth spurts

@article{Leigh_1996, abstract = {This study investigates subadult growth spurts in a large sample of anthropoid primates, including humans. Analyses of body mass growth curves show that humans are not unique in the expression of female and male body mass growth spurts. Subadult growth spurts are observed in both New World and Old World anthropoid primates and are more common in males than in females. Allometric analyses of growth spurts indicate that many aspects of primate growth spurts are strongly correlated with species size. Small species tend not to exhibit growth spurts. Although male and female scaling patterns for velocity and size measures are comparable, scaling relations of variables that measure the timing of growth spurts differ by sex. These patterns can be related to sexual differences in life histories. Scaling analyses further show that humans do not depart substantially from patterns that describe other anthropoid primates. Thus, in relative terms, human growth spurts are not exceptional compared to this sample of primates. The long absolute delay in the initiation of the human growth spurt may be of substantial evolutionary importance and serves to distinguish humans from other primates. In essence, humans exhibit growth spurts that are comparable to other primates in many respects. However, human growth spurts are shifted to very late absolute ages.}, address = {Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, 61801, USA.}, author = {Leigh, Steven R. }, citeulike-article-id = {2802615}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199612)101:4\<455::AID-AJPA2\>3.0.CO;2-V}, issn = {0002-9483}, journal = {American Journal of Physical Anthropology}, keywords = {body\_size, growth, ontogeny}, month = {December}, number = {4}, pages = {455--474}, posted-at = {2008-05-15 21:16:50}, priority = {2}, title = {Evolution of human growth spurts}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199612)101:4\<455::AID-AJPA2\>3.0.CO;2-V}, volume = {101}, year = {1996} }

TY - JOUR ID - Leigh_1996 L3 - citeulike-article-id:2802615 TI - Evolution of human growth spurts JF - American Journal of Physical Anthropology VL - 101 IS - 4 SP - 455 EP - 474 AD - Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, 61801, USA. SN - 0002-9483 N2 - This study investigates subadult growth spurts in a large sample of anthropoid primates, including humans. Analyses of body mass growth curves show that humans are not unique in the expression of female and male body mass growth spurts. Subadult growth spurts are observed in both New World and Old World anthropoid primates and are more common in males than in females. Allometric analyses of growth spurts indicate that many aspects of primate growth spurts are strongly correlated with species size. Small species tend not to exhibit growth spurts. Although male and female scaling patterns for velocity and size measures are comparable, scaling relations of variables that measure the timing of growth spurts differ by sex. These patterns can be related to sexual differences in life histories. Scaling analyses further show that humans do not depart substantially from patterns that describe other anthropoid primates. Thus, in relative terms, human growth spurts are not exceptional compared to this sample of primates. The long absolute delay in the initiation of the human growth spurt may be of substantial evolutionary importance and serves to distinguish humans from other primates. In essence, humans exhibit growth spurts that are comparable to other primates in many respects. However, human growth spurts are shifted to very late absolute ages. KW - body_size KW - growth KW - ontogeny AU - Leigh, Steven PY - 1996/12// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199612)101:4<455::AID-AJPA2>3.0.CO;2-V ER -