Doctoral Dissertation Research: The role of thermoregulation in the obstetrical dilemma

博士论文研究：体温调节在产科困境中的作用

• 批准号: 1650895
• 负责人: Scott Williams
• 金额: $ 2.51万
• 依托单位: New York University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-02-15 至 2020-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1650895&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; role; thermoregulation

In human childbirth, the baby fits very tightly in the birth canal, and anthropologists are interested in understanding what evolutionary pressures may have led to a female pelvic size and shape that can contribute to difficult childbirth. This project will test the thermoregulation hypothesis, which suggests that the width of the human pelvis is limited by the need to maintain a narrow body that is good at staying cool. Human ancestors evolved in warm climates and engaged in strenuous activities, and a narrow body aids in temperature regulation. Skeletal data on pelvic dimensions and temperature regulation data from living people will be collected to address the thermoregulation hypothesis. These data may also be informative for predicting women at risk of obstructed labor and for preventing overheating in recreational and professional athletes. Additionally, this project will support STEM training for two female undergraduate students from groups underrepresented in science. Project results will be shared in local high schools and with the general public at the American Museum of Natural History.The traditional explanation for the "obstetrical dilemma," which asks why the modern human female birth canal has not expanded to make birth easier, is that a narrow pelvis is more efficient during bipedal locomotion. However, the thermoregulation hypothesis, which suggests that a narrow pelvis aids in thermoregulation during physical activity, has been discussed as a competing hypothesis. This research will investigate the potential role of thermoregulation in constraining the evolution of the birth canal. The investigators hypothesize that a narrow pelvis aids in thermoregulation in modern humans during physical activity, that hip breadth is correlated with the area of the birth canal, and that Homo erectus was a narrow-bodied, heat-adapted taxon. The investigators will collect thermoregulation data from runners to determine if a narrow pelvis bestows thermoregulatory advantages during exercise; measure female pelvic dimensions using three-dimensional scans created from eco-geographically varied populations; and reconstruct the KNM-WT 15000 H. erectus pelvis, which is controversial because the original reconstruction provides the only evidence of a hominin with a narrow pelvis prior to the evolution of Homo sapiens. These data will contribute to a broader understanding of the evolutionary reasons behind obstructed labor.

在人类分娩中，婴儿在产道中非常紧密地贴合，人类学家有兴趣了解哪些进化压力可能导致女性骨盆的大小和形状，从而导致分娩困难。该项目将测试体温调节假说，该假说表明，人类骨盆的宽度受到保持狭窄身体以保持凉爽的需要的限制。人类祖先在温暖的气候中进化并从事剧烈的活动，而狭窄的身体有助于温度调节。将收集活人骨盆尺寸的骨骼数据和温度调节数据，以解决温度调节假说。这些数据还可以为预测女性难产风险以及防止休闲和职业运动员过热提供信息。此外，该项目还将支持对来自科学界代表性不足群体的两名女本科生进行 STEM 培训。项目结果将在当地高中和美国自然历史博物馆与公众分享。对于“产科困境”的传统解释是，为什么现代人类女性产道没有扩大以方便分娩。狭窄的骨盆在双足运动时效率更高。然而，体温调节假说认为狭窄的骨盆有助于身体活动期间的体温调节，这一假说已被作为一种相互竞争的假说进行讨论。这项研究将调查温度调节在限制产道进化中的潜在作用。研究人员推测，狭窄的骨盆有助于现代人类在体力活动期间的体温调节，臀宽与产道面积相关，而且直立人是一种身体狭窄、热适应的分类群。研究人员将从跑步者那里收集体温调节数据，以确定狭窄的骨盆是否在运动过程中赋予体温调节优势；使用根据生态地理不同人群创建的三维扫描来测量女性骨盆尺寸；并重建了 KNM-WT 15000 直立人骨盆，这是有争议的，因为最初的重建提供了智人进化之前骨盆狭窄的古人类的唯一证据。这些数据将有助于更广泛地了解难产背后的进化原因。