The Operation of Natural Selection through Differential Mortality: The Detva Population during the Great Epidemics, 1831–1920

This paper centers on the infectious disease epidemics which swept through the Detva region, located in Upper Hungary (currently the territory of central Slovakia) in 1831–1920. The goal of this study is twofold: firstly, to examine the extent to which deaths caused by epidemics of infectious diseas...

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Main Authors: Ján Golian, Grażyna Liczbińska
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego 2023-02-01
Series:Przeszłość Demograficzna Polski
Subjects:
Online Access:https://wnus.usz.edu.pl/pdp/en/issue/1368/article/20410/
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author Ján Golian
Grażyna Liczbińska
author_facet Ján Golian
Grażyna Liczbińska
author_sort Ján Golian
collection DOAJ
description This paper centers on the infectious disease epidemics which swept through the Detva region, located in Upper Hungary (currently the territory of central Slovakia) in 1831–1920. The goal of this study is twofold: firstly, to examine the extent to which deaths caused by epidemics of infectious disease influenced life expectancy, the proportion of the deceased and survivors, and the probability of death in the Detva population, and secondly, to measure selection pressures through differential mortality, with a focus on deaths caused by infectious disease epidemics. We used individual information on age at death and causes of death in the Detva region, derived from the Detva parish records (N = 29,338). Infectious disease epidemics were the main regulator of mortality in the Detva region, as confirmed by our findings. Excluding deaths caused by infectious diseases from the dataset raised the life expectancy of a new-born and of an adult by 1–5 years and 1–2 years, respectively. The fraction of those surviving to the age of 5, the onset of maturity (15 years) and the onset of senility (60 years) also increased, while there was a decline in the proportion of deceased and the probability of dying. When deaths caused by infectious disease epidemics were removed from the analyses, selection pressures also weakened, as evidenced by the values of measures for the operation of natural selection.
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spelling doaj.art-b5ede41f687c4531ae3b92739e72b5762024-02-29T10:08:40ZdeuWydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu SzczecińskiegoPrzeszłość Demograficzna Polski0079-71892023-02-014510.18276/pdp.2023.45-03The Operation of Natural Selection through Differential Mortality: The Detva Population during the Great Epidemics, 1831–1920Ján Golian0Grażyna Liczbińska1University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, SlovakiaInstytut Biologii i Ewolucji Człowieka Wydział Biologii UAMThis paper centers on the infectious disease epidemics which swept through the Detva region, located in Upper Hungary (currently the territory of central Slovakia) in 1831–1920. The goal of this study is twofold: firstly, to examine the extent to which deaths caused by epidemics of infectious disease influenced life expectancy, the proportion of the deceased and survivors, and the probability of death in the Detva population, and secondly, to measure selection pressures through differential mortality, with a focus on deaths caused by infectious disease epidemics. We used individual information on age at death and causes of death in the Detva region, derived from the Detva parish records (N = 29,338). Infectious disease epidemics were the main regulator of mortality in the Detva region, as confirmed by our findings. Excluding deaths caused by infectious diseases from the dataset raised the life expectancy of a new-born and of an adult by 1–5 years and 1–2 years, respectively. The fraction of those surviving to the age of 5, the onset of maturity (15 years) and the onset of senility (60 years) also increased, while there was a decline in the proportion of deceased and the probability of dying. When deaths caused by infectious disease epidemics were removed from the analyses, selection pressures also weakened, as evidenced by the values of measures for the operation of natural selection.https://wnus.usz.edu.pl/pdp/en/issue/1368/article/20410/Upper Hungarymortalitylife expectancynatural selectionrural areasepidemics
spellingShingle Ján Golian
Grażyna Liczbińska
The Operation of Natural Selection through Differential Mortality: The Detva Population during the Great Epidemics, 1831–1920
Przeszłość Demograficzna Polski
Upper Hungary
mortality
life expectancy
natural selection
rural areas
epidemics
title The Operation of Natural Selection through Differential Mortality: The Detva Population during the Great Epidemics, 1831–1920
title_full The Operation of Natural Selection through Differential Mortality: The Detva Population during the Great Epidemics, 1831–1920
title_fullStr The Operation of Natural Selection through Differential Mortality: The Detva Population during the Great Epidemics, 1831–1920
title_full_unstemmed The Operation of Natural Selection through Differential Mortality: The Detva Population during the Great Epidemics, 1831–1920
title_short The Operation of Natural Selection through Differential Mortality: The Detva Population during the Great Epidemics, 1831–1920
title_sort operation of natural selection through differential mortality the detva population during the great epidemics 1831 1920
topic Upper Hungary
mortality
life expectancy
natural selection
rural areas
epidemics
url https://wnus.usz.edu.pl/pdp/en/issue/1368/article/20410/
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