Speculations on the evolutionary ecology of Homo Sapiens with special reference to body size, allometry and survivorship

No single chapter can hope to address the voluminous literature and theory related to human evolution, but some insight can be obtained relevant to those aspects reflecting the theme of this book: body size, allometry and survivorship. This then encompasses considerations of unique human attributes such as our remarkably slow growth and extended childhood, teenage growth spurts, exaggerated brain development and exceptional longevities. Recent developments such as the "Grandmother hypothesis," the discovery of a dwarfed hominid species that only recently went extinct, and a wave of molecular genetic insights are harnessed to a life history context of allometry, allocation and risk. RA Fisher's (1930) theories relating to selection of modern humans by warfare are extracted from the last half of his famous book. Finally, the issue of medical interventions to alter human height is briefly considered. © 2007 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.