Life-History Consequences of Density Dependence and the Evolution of Human Body Size.

The article presents a study which examines the life history consequences of density dependence and the evolution of human body size. The researchers used an approach focusing on two concurrent pathways leading to human body size reduction including density-dependent responses to resource scarcity and selection for rapid development in the face of high extrinsic mortality rates. The results support density-dependent effects on body size that act through two pathways including nutritional constraints and juvenile mortality contributing to a nearly twofold range in body size across human societies.