CHAPTER 2 Survival of the Fattest Flashcards
What does the phrase ‘Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution’ imply?
It emphasizes the importance of evolutionary theory in understanding biological phenomena.
Who was Sue and what condition was she diagnosed with?
Sue was a T. rex with a diagnosis of gout.
What is the ‘thrifty-gene hypothesis’?
It proposes that genes predisposing to type 2 diabetes were historically advantageous for survival during periods of food scarcity.
What is an evolutionary/environmental mismatch?
It refers to the disconnect between our ancient genome and modern environmental conditions leading to chronic diseases.
What are thrifty genes programmed to do?
They are programmed to store fat during times of abundance.
How long does it take for significant changes to occur in the human genome?
It takes between forty thousand and seventy thousand years.
What major lifestyle changes occurred during the Industrial Revolution?
The introduction of refined vegetable oils, grains, and sugar, leading to a junk food culture.
What was the increase in consumption of high-fructose corn syrup between 1970 and 1990?
It ballooned more than 1,000 percent.
What percentage of total daily energy consumed in the U.S. comes from dairy products, cereal grains, refined sugars, refined vegetable oils, and alcohol?
More than 72 percent.
What are some health markers observed in hunter-gatherer populations compared to industrialized populations?
- Low blood pressure
- Excellent insulin sensitivity
- Lower body mass indexes
- Lower waist-to-height ratio
- Better bone health markers
What was the survival strategy of early human ancestors during caloric scarcity?
They developed the ability to generate and store high levels of body fat.
What mutation affected the uricase enzyme in our ancestors?
Mutations that deleted the gene for coding a functional uricase enzyme.
How does uric acid affect modern humans?
Excess uric acid can lead to various metabolic disorders and diseases.
What significant changes occurred in the human diet around the time of the agricultural revolution?
Shift from a hunter-gatherer diet to agriculture-based diets.
What is the consequence of the mismatch between ancient physiology and modern diets?
It underlies many diseases of civilization like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
What does the Paleo movement emphasize?
It stresses the need to align modern diets and lifestyles with our ancestral genome.
What are the characteristics of the Miocene epoch relevant to human evolution?
It featured diverse ecosystems and the emergence of early apes.
What facilitated the migration of primate ancestors into Asia and Europe?
The formation of land bridges due to cooling temperatures.
What role did salt play in the survival of early humans?
It helped retain water in the body, thus supporting survival during dehydration.
True or False: The human body has fully adapted to the modern Western diet.
False.
Fill in the blank: The _______ hypothesis explains why type 2 diabetes has a strong genetic basis.
thrifty-gene
What are some diseases that are rare among hunter-gatherer populations?
- Coronary heart disease
- Obesity
- Hypertension
- Autoimmune diseases
- Osteoporosis
What significant change occurred to apes in Europe seven million years ago?
There were no longer any apes in Europe.
How did the uricase defect benefit our ancestors?
It padded their bones with fat for survival and increased blood pressure to endure dehydration and salt scarcity.
