Repository logo
 

Human variation in the shape of the birth canal is significant and geographically structured.

Simple item page
cam.issuedOnline2018-10-24
dc.contributor.authorBetti, Lia
dc.contributor.authorManica, Andrea
dc.contributor.orcidBetti, Lia [0000-0003-2895-9718]
dc.contributor.orcidManica, Andrea [0000-0003-1895-450X]
dc.date.accessioned2018-12-07T00:31:23Z
dc.date.available2018-12-07T00:31:23Z
dc.date.issued2018-10-24
dc.description.abstractThe human birth canal shows a tight fit with the size of the neonate, which can lead to obstetric complications. This is not the case in other apes, and has been explained as the outcome of conflicting evolutionary pressures for bipedal locomotion and parturition of a highly encephalized fetus. Despite the suggested evolutionary constraints on the female pelvis, we show that women are, in fact, extremely variable in the shape of the bony birth canal, with human populations having differently shaped pelvic canals. Neutral evolution through genetic drift and differential migration are largely responsible for the observed pattern of morphological diversity, which correlates well with neutral genetic diversity. Climatic adaptation might have played a role, albeit a minor one, with populations from colder regions showing a more transversally oval shape of the canal inlet. The significant extent of canal shape variation among women from different regions of the world has important implications for modern obstetric practice in multi-ethnic societies, as modern medical understanding has been largely developed on studies of European women.
dc.format.mediumElectronic
dc.identifier.doi10.17863/CAM.33719
dc.identifier.eissn1471-2954
dc.identifier.issn0962-8452
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/286409
dc.languageeng
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherThe Royal Society
dc.publisher.urlhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1807
dc.subjectbirth canal
dc.subjectclimate
dc.subjecthuman
dc.subjectneutral variation
dc.subjectobstetrical constraints
dc.subjectpelvis
dc.subjectBiological Evolution
dc.subjectFemale
dc.subjectGenetic Drift
dc.subjectGeography
dc.subjectHumans
dc.subjectPelvis
dc.titleHuman variation in the shape of the birth canal is significant and geographically structured.
dc.typeArticle
dcterms.dateAccepted2018-10-03
prism.issueIdentifier1889
prism.publicationDate2018
prism.publicationNameProc Biol Sci
prism.volume285
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate2018-10-24
rioxxterms.licenseref.urihttp://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved
rioxxterms.typeJournal Article/Review
rioxxterms.versionAM
rioxxterms.versionofrecord10.1098/rspb.2018.1807

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Paper wihth Lia.pdf
Size:
1.09 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Accepted version
Licence
http://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
DepositLicenceAgreementv2.1.pdf
Size:
150.9 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

Cambridge University Research Outputs