Energetics as a driver of human morphological thermal adaptation; evidence from female ultra-endurance athletes
Functional benefits of the morphologies described by Bergmann's and Allen's rules in human males have recently been reported. However, the functional implications of ecogeographical patterning in females remain poorly understood. Here, we report the findings of preliminary work analysing t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Evolutionary Human Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2513843X21000177/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1811156374457942016 |
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| author | Daniel P. Longman Alison Murray Rebecca Roberts Saskia Oakley Jonathan C. K. Wells Jay T. Stock |
| author_facet | Daniel P. Longman Alison Murray Rebecca Roberts Saskia Oakley Jonathan C. K. Wells Jay T. Stock |
| author_sort | Daniel P. Longman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Functional benefits of the morphologies described by Bergmann's and Allen's rules in human males have recently been reported. However, the functional implications of ecogeographical patterning in females remain poorly understood. Here, we report the findings of preliminary work analysing the association between body shape and performance in female ultramarathon runners (n = 36) competing in hot and cold environments. The body shapes differed between finishers of hot and cold races, and also between hot race finishers and non-finishers. Variability in race performance across different settings supports the notion that human phenotype is adapted to different thermal environments as ecogeographical patterns have reported previously. This report provides support for the recent hypothesis that the heightened thermal strain associated with prolonged physical activity in hot/cold environments may have driven the emergence of thermally adaptive phenotypes in our evolutionary past. These results also tentatively suggest that the relationship between morphology and performance may be stronger in female vs. male athletes. This potential sex difference is discussed with reference to the evolved unique energetic context of human female reproduction. Further work, with a larger sample size, is required to investigate the observed potential sex differences in the strength of the relationship between phenotype and performance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:50:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6ba44504df7548efa1f511f85e06656f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2513-843X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:50:29Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Evolutionary Human Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-6ba44504df7548efa1f511f85e06656f2023-03-09T12:32:19ZengCambridge University PressEvolutionary Human Sciences2513-843X2021-01-01310.1017/ehs.2021.17Energetics as a driver of human morphological thermal adaptation; evidence from female ultra-endurance athletesDaniel P. Longman0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3025-7053Alison Murray1Rebecca Roberts2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5233-7164Saskia Oakley3Jonathan C. K. Wells4Jay T. Stock5School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UKDepartment of Anthropology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, CanadaDepartment of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3QG, UKDepartment of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3QG, UKChildhood Nutrition Research Centre, Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, UKDepartment of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3QG, UK Department of Anthropology, Western University, Ontario, Canada Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, D-07745 Jena, GermanyFunctional benefits of the morphologies described by Bergmann's and Allen's rules in human males have recently been reported. However, the functional implications of ecogeographical patterning in females remain poorly understood. Here, we report the findings of preliminary work analysing the association between body shape and performance in female ultramarathon runners (n = 36) competing in hot and cold environments. The body shapes differed between finishers of hot and cold races, and also between hot race finishers and non-finishers. Variability in race performance across different settings supports the notion that human phenotype is adapted to different thermal environments as ecogeographical patterns have reported previously. This report provides support for the recent hypothesis that the heightened thermal strain associated with prolonged physical activity in hot/cold environments may have driven the emergence of thermally adaptive phenotypes in our evolutionary past. These results also tentatively suggest that the relationship between morphology and performance may be stronger in female vs. male athletes. This potential sex difference is discussed with reference to the evolved unique energetic context of human female reproduction. Further work, with a larger sample size, is required to investigate the observed potential sex differences in the strength of the relationship between phenotype and performance.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2513843X21000177/type/journal_articlePhenotypeadaptationBergmann's RuleAllen's Ruleecogeographical patterningmorphology |
| spellingShingle | Daniel P. Longman Alison Murray Rebecca Roberts Saskia Oakley Jonathan C. K. Wells Jay T. Stock Energetics as a driver of human morphological thermal adaptation; evidence from female ultra-endurance athletes Evolutionary Human Sciences Phenotype adaptation Bergmann's Rule Allen's Rule ecogeographical patterning morphology |
| title | Energetics as a driver of human morphological thermal adaptation; evidence from female ultra-endurance athletes |
| title_full | Energetics as a driver of human morphological thermal adaptation; evidence from female ultra-endurance athletes |
| title_fullStr | Energetics as a driver of human morphological thermal adaptation; evidence from female ultra-endurance athletes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Energetics as a driver of human morphological thermal adaptation; evidence from female ultra-endurance athletes |
| title_short | Energetics as a driver of human morphological thermal adaptation; evidence from female ultra-endurance athletes |
| title_sort | energetics as a driver of human morphological thermal adaptation evidence from female ultra endurance athletes |
| topic | Phenotype adaptation Bergmann's Rule Allen's Rule ecogeographical patterning morphology |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2513843X21000177/type/journal_article |
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