Evolutionary Medicine

Unlike the traditional approach to medicine which is aimed at identifying and treating the proximate causes (i.e., symptoms) of disease, an evolutionary medicine approach is focused on identifying the evolutionary origins (ultimate cause) of a disease and to use this to help inform medical practice (Williams and Nesse 1991 ; Trevathan 2010 ; Ruhli and Henneberg 2013 ). Evidence in support of evolutionary medicine is provided by observers working in various fields, including cognitive science, anthropology, demography, biochemistry and molecular biology, and genetics. Evolutionary medicine thus offers a broader and more holistic perspective to medicine. The significance of using an evolutionary approach to medicine is highlighted by the tremendous insight gained from our understanding of antibiotic resistance (Davies and Davies 2010 ) and the rise in recent viral or bacterial outbreaks (e.g., Ebola, Measles, COVID-19). Interest in evolutionary medicine has grown exponentially (Alcock 2012 ) with this field contributing significantly toward our understanding of important topics in human health including immune function (Cooper and Herrin 2010 ; Litman and Cooper 2007 ), aging (Stearns et al. 2000 ; Stearns 1989 ), infectious disease (Ewald 1994 ; Schmid Hempel 2011 ), reproductive health (Trevathan 2011 ), behavioral and mental disorders (Keller and Nesse 2006 ; Nesse 1999 ), inflammation (Straub 2012 ), diet (Chakravarthy and Booth 2004 ), and cancer (Merlo et al. 2006 ).

Biology · Cognitive science · Evolutionary biology · Evolutionary medicine · Evolution and Genetic Dynamics · Evolution and Science Education · Psychology

• Mother–infant cosleeping, breastfeeding and sudden infant death syndrome

  Open Access•James J Mckenna, Helen L Ball et al.•American Journal of Physical…•2007

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• Human Birth

  Wenda R Trevathan•Human Birth•2017

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• Human longevity at the cost of reproductive success

  Open Access•Rudi G J Westendorp, Thomas B L Kirkwood•Nature•1998

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• The Dawn of Darwinian Medicine

  George C Williams, Randolph M Nesse•The Quarterly Review of Biology•1991

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• Trade-Offs in Life-History Evolution

  Stephen C Stearn, S C Stearns•Functional Ecology•1989

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• Adaptively relevant environments versus the environment of evolutionary adaptedness

  Open Access•William Irons•Evolutionary Anthropology Issues…•1998

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• Climatic influences on human body size and proportions

  Open Access•P T Katzmarzyk, W R Leonard•American Journal of Physical…•1998

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• Variation in Human Body Size and Shape

  C B Ruff, Christopher Ruff•Annual Review of Anthropology•2002

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• The evolutionary significance of depressive symptoms

  Matthew C Keller, Randolph M Nesse•Journal of Personality and Social…•2006

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• The Sickle-Cell Trait in the Mediterranean Area

  A C Allison•Man•1953

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• Anthropological Implications of Sickle Cell Gene Distribution in West Africa1

  Open Access•Frank B Livingstone•American Anthropologist•1958

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• The Expensive-Tissue Hypothesis

  Leslie C Aiello, Peter Wheeler et al.•Current Anthropology•1995

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