Biodemography is a new branch of human (classical) demography concerned with understanding the complementary biological and demographic determinants of and interactions between the birth and death processes that shape individuals, cohorts and populations. The biological component brings human demography under the unifying theoretical umbrella of evolution, and the demographic component provides an analytical foundation for many of the principles upon which evolutionary theory rests including fitness, selection, structure, and change. Biodemographers are concerned with birth and death processes as they relate to populations in general and to humans in particular, whereas population biologists specializing in life history theory are interested in these processes only insofar as they relate to fitness and evolution.
Traditionally, evolutionary biologists seldom focused on older, post-reproductives because these individuals (it is typically argued) do not contribute to fitness. In contrast, biodemographers embraced research programs expressly designed to study individuals at ages beyond their reproductive years because information on these age classes will shed important light on longevity and aging. The biological and demographic components of biodemography are not hierarchical but reciprocal in that both are primary windows on the world and are thus synergistic, complementary and mutually informing.
However, there has been much more synthesis between the approaches to demographic research in recent years, such that collaboration between evolutionary, ecology and demographic researchers is increasingly common. An example of this is the "Evolutionary Demography Society", formed in 2012/2013 to increase opportunities for inter and multidisciplinary approaches to understanding how life history and ageing are related and lead to different population demographics.
Biodemography is one of a small number of key subdisciplines arising from the social sciences that has embraced biology such as evolutionary psychology and neuroeconomics. However, unlike the others which focus more narrowly on biological sub-areas (neurology) or concepts (evolution), biodemography has no explicit biological boundaries. As a consequence, it is an interdisciplinary concept, but maintains biological roots. The hierarchical organizations that are inherent to both biology (cell, organ, individual) and demography (individual cohort, population) form a chain in which the individual serves as the link between the lower mechanistic levels, and the higher functional levels.
Biodemography serves to inform research on human aging through theory building using mathematical and statistical modeling, hypothesis testing using experimental methods, and coherence-seeking using genetics and evolutionary concepts.
Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova N.S. 2012. "Biodemography of Exceptional Longevity: Early-life and mid-life predictors of human longevity". Biodemography and Social Biology, 58(1):14–39, PMID 22582891
Curtsinger J.W., Gavrilova N.S., Gavrilov L.A. 2006. "Biodemography of Aging and Age-Specific Mortality in Drosophila melanogaster". In: Masoro E.J. & Austad S.N.. (eds.): Handbook of the Biology of Aging, Sixth Edition. Academic Press. San Diego, CA. 261–288.
Carey, J. R., and J. W. Vaupel. 2005. "Biodemography". in D. Poston and M. Micklin, editors. Handbook of Population. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. 625–658
Carnes, B.A., S.J. Olshansky, and D. Grahn. 2003. "Biological evidence for limits to the duration of life". Biogerontology 4: 31–45.
Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova N.S., Olshansky S.J., Carnes B.A. 2002. "Genealogical data and biodemography of human longevity". Social Biology, 49(3-4): 160–173.
Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. 2001. "Biodemographic study of familial determinants of human longevity". Population: An English Selection, 13(1): 197–222.
Leonid A. Gavrilov & Natalia S. Gavrilova (1991), The Biology of Life Span: A Quantitative Approach. New York: Harwood Academic Publisher, ISBN3-7186-4983-7
External links
Biodemography of Exceptional Longevity
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
National Institute on Aging
Biodemography and Social Biology Academic journal.
August 22, 2023
biodemography, science, dealing, with, integration, biological, theory, demography, contents, overview, also, references, further, reading, external, linksoverview, editthis, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inlin. Biodemography is the science dealing with the integration of biological theory and demography 1 Contents 1 Overview 2 See also 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksOverview EditThis article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations October 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message Biodemography is a new branch of human classical demography concerned with understanding the complementary biological and demographic determinants of and interactions between the birth and death processes that shape individuals cohorts and populations The biological component brings human demography under the unifying theoretical umbrella of evolution and the demographic component provides an analytical foundation for many of the principles upon which evolutionary theory rests including fitness selection structure and change Biodemographers are concerned with birth and death processes as they relate to populations in general and to humans in particular whereas population biologists specializing in life history theory are interested in these processes only insofar as they relate to fitness and evolution Traditionally evolutionary biologists seldom focused on older post reproductives because these individuals it is typically argued do not contribute to fitness In contrast biodemographers embraced research programs expressly designed to study individuals at ages beyond their reproductive years because information on these age classes will shed important light on longevity and aging The biological and demographic components of biodemography are not hierarchical but reciprocal in that both are primary windows on the world and are thus synergistic complementary and mutually informing However there has been much more synthesis between the approaches to demographic research in recent years such that collaboration between evolutionary ecology and demographic researchers is increasingly common An example of this is the Evolutionary Demography Society formed in 2012 2013 to increase opportunities for inter and multidisciplinary approaches to understanding how life history and ageing are related and lead to different population demographics Biodemography is one of a small number of key subdisciplines arising from the social sciences that has embraced biology such as evolutionary psychology and neuroeconomics However unlike the others which focus more narrowly on biological sub areas neurology or concepts evolution biodemography has no explicit biological boundaries As a consequence it is an interdisciplinary concept but maintains biological roots The hierarchical organizations that are inherent to both biology cell organ individual and demography individual cohort population form a chain in which the individual serves as the link between the lower mechanistic levels and the higher functional levels Biodemography serves to inform research on human aging through theory building using mathematical and statistical modeling hypothesis testing using experimental methods and coherence seeking using genetics and evolutionary concepts See also EditBiodemography of human longevity Epidemiology Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research Paleodemography Mortality displacement Society for Biodemography and Social BiologyReferences Edit Department of Health and Human ServicesFurther reading EditGavrilov L A Gavrilova N S 2012 Biodemography of Exceptional Longevity Early life and mid life predictors of human longevity Biodemography and Social Biology 58 1 14 39 PMID 22582891 Curtsinger J W Gavrilova N S Gavrilov L A 2006 Biodemography of Aging and Age Specific Mortality in Drosophila melanogaster In Masoro E J amp Austad S N eds Handbook of the Biology of Aging Sixth Edition Academic Press San Diego CA 261 288 Carey J R and J W Vaupel 2005 Biodemography in D Poston and M Micklin editors Handbook of Population Kluwer Academic Plenum Publishers New York 625 658 Carnes B A S J Olshansky and D Grahn 2003 Biological evidence for limits to the duration of life Biogerontology 4 31 45 Gavrilov L A Gavrilova N S Olshansky S J Carnes B A 2002 Genealogical data and biodemography of human longevity Social Biology 49 3 4 160 173 Gavrilov L A Gavrilova N S 2001 Biodemographic study of familial determinants of human longevity Population An English Selection 13 1 197 222 Leonid A Gavrilov amp Natalia S Gavrilova 1991 The Biology of Life Span A Quantitative Approach New York Harwood Academic Publisher ISBN 3 7186 4983 7External links EditBiodemography of Exceptional Longevity Laboratory of Survival and Longevity Biodemography and Paleodemography Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research National Institute on Aging Biodemography and Social Biology Academic journal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Biodemography amp oldid 1066920366, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
