Date: 22 February 2012
Haury 216 at 4:00 pm
Speaker: Richard Bribiescas

Speaker affiliation: Chair and Professor of Anthropology
Director of the Yale Reproductive Ecology Laboratory and the Program in Reproductive Ecology,
Yale University

Talk title: "Why Men Matter:  Aging, Life History, and Human Evolution"

Abstract: In contrast to menopause, male reproductive senescence has not received much research attention.  Men do, however, exhibit distinct changes in body composition and gonadal function with age.  In addition, population variation in the biology of male reproductive senescence suggests significant environmental and lifestyle influences. An evolutionary and life history perspective on male senescence is useful since aging is a constraint that requires adjustments to reproductive strategies and the allocation of resources over time.  This lecture will review the adaptive significance of human male senescence with particular attention to population variation in hormone levels and implications for other evolutionary aspects of human aging. An evolutionary perspective can not only shed light on the biology of human male senescence but also provide insights into contemporary issues of mens health.