Biodemography
Encyclopedia
Biodemography is the science dealing with the integration of biology and demography
.
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 population
s. 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. Whereas biodemographers are concerned with birth and death processes as they relate to populations in general and to humans in particular, population biologists specializing in life history theory are interested in these processes only insofar as they relate to fitness and evolution.
For example, evolutionary biologists seldom focus on older, post-reproductives because these individuals (it is typically argued) do not contribute to fitness. In contrast, biodemographers embrace 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.
Biodemography is unique in two respects. First, it 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 a more all-encompassing interdisciplinary concept, but maintains deep biological roots. Second, 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 is therefore ideally suited – serving as a “looking glass” - to complement, engage and 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.
Demography
Demography is the statistical study of human population. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic human population, that is, one that changes over time or space...
.
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 population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
s. The biological component brings human demography under the unifying theoretical umbrella of evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
, and the demographic component provides an analytical foundation for many of the principles upon which evolutionary theory rests including fitness
Fitness (biology)
Fitness is a central idea in evolutionary theory. It can be defined either with respect to a genotype or to a phenotype in a given environment...
, selection
Selection
In the context of evolution, certain traits or alleles of genes segregating within a population may be subject to selection. Under selection, individuals with advantageous or "adaptive" traits tend to be more successful than their peers reproductively—meaning they contribute more offspring to the...
, structure, and change. Whereas biodemographers are concerned with birth and death processes as they relate to populations in general and to humans in particular, population biologists specializing in life history theory are interested in these processes only insofar as they relate to fitness and evolution.
For example, evolutionary biologists seldom focus on older, post-reproductives because these individuals (it is typically argued) do not contribute to fitness. In contrast, biodemographers embrace 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
Longevity
The word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
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.
Biodemography is unique in two respects. First, it is one of a small number of key subdisciplines arising from the social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
that has embraced biology such as evolutionary psychology
Evolutionary psychology
Evolutionary psychology is an approach in the social and natural sciences that examines psychological traits such as memory, perception, and language from a modern evolutionary perspective. It seeks to identify which human psychological traits are evolved adaptations, that is, the functional...
and neuroeconomics
Neuroeconomics
Neuroeconomics is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to explain human decision making, the ability to process multiple alternatives and to choose an optimal course of action. It studies how economic behavior can shape our understanding of the brain, and how neuroscientific discoveries can...
. However, unlike the others which focus more narrowly on biological sub-areas (neurology
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
) or concepts (evolution), biodemography has no explicit biological boundaries. As a consequence, it is a more all-encompassing interdisciplinary concept, but maintains deep biological roots. Second, 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 is therefore ideally suited – serving as a “looking glass” - to complement, engage and 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.
Samples of related research in Biodemography
- Biodemographic Effects of Social Evolution in Honey Bees http://www.biodemographyworld.org/index.php/Main/Project1
- Aging in the Wild-Medflies and Nematodes, http://www.biodemographyworld.org/index.php/Main/Project2
- The Mathematical Demography of Biodemography http://www.biodemographyworld.org/index.php/Main/Project3
- Biodemography of Intergenerational Transfer http://www.biodemographyworld.org/index.php/Main/Project4
- Evolutionary Dynamics of Life Span http://www.biodemographyworld.org/index.php/Main/Project5
See also
- DemographyDemographyDemography is the statistical study of human population. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic human population, that is, one that changes over time or space...
- Biodemography of human longevityBiodemography of human longevityBiodemography is a multidisciplinary approach, integrating biological knowledge with demographic research on human longevity and survival...
- EpidemiologyEpidemiologyEpidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
- Max Planck Institute for Demographic ResearchMax Planck Institute for Demographic ResearchThe Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research is located in Rostock, Germany. It was founded in 1996 and moved into new buildings in Rostock in 2002. It is one of approximately 80 institutes of the Max Planck Society....
- PaleodemographyPaleodemographyPaleodemography is the study of ancient human mortality, fertility, and migration.More specifically, paleodemography looks at the changes in pre-modern populations in order to determine something about the influences on the lifespan and health of earlier peoples.Because case studies that are common...
- Mortality displacementMortality displacementMortality displacement denotes a temporal shift in the rate of mortality in a given population, usually attributable to environmental phenomena such as heat waves or cold spells....