Biology subjects

Dyble, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Dyble, M..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Human monogamy in mammalian context

Monogamy has been argued to have played an important role in human evolution1-5 and, across animals more generally, evolutionary transitions to highly cooperative societies have been far more likely to occur in monogamous species6-8, raising the possibility that this may also have been the case for humans. However, the extent to which we can consider monogamy to be the species-typical human mating system is subject to debate9-11. Here, I provide comparative context on human mating behaviour by comparing the distribution of sibling types (full siblings versus half-siblings) across >100 human societies with equivalent data from 35 nonhuman mammal species. While cross-culturally variable, rates of full siblings in humans cluster closely with rates seen among socially monogamous mammals and fall consistently above the range seen in non-monogamous mammals. Although the human data is demonstrative of cross-cultural diversity in marriage and mating practices, the overall high frequency of full siblings is consistent with the characterisation of monogamy as the modal mating system for humans.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Predicting the patterns of kinship dynamics in human societies

By shaping the inclusive fitness effects of behaviours, kinship environments have important implications for social evolution, and studies across non-human animal societies have shown that the patterns of kinship dynamics individuals experience as they age can be predicted by simple demographic parameters relating to sex-specific dispersal patterns, the extent of extra-group mating, and the age-specific patterns of mortality and fertility. However, it remains unclear whether these insights apply within our own species, where we see both extended lifespans in which kinship dynamics can play out, and remarkable variations in cultural practices relating to marriage and residence that influence the patterns of inter-individual relatedness. Here, using a newly developed model of kinship dynamics, we explore how marriage practices and post-marital residence rules, along with the typical survival and fertility schedules of our own species, can predict the emergent patterns of female and male kinship dynamics in human societies. By showing evidence that the model successfully captures the patterns of female and male kinship dynamics underlying human societies, we demonstrate that, despite the diversity in human social organisation, a relatively simple set of parameters relating to male and female rates of dispersal and the prevalence of extra-group mating suffices to capture the qualitative patterns of human kinship dynamics. Given the inclusive fitness implications kinship dynamics have for sex- and age-linked variations in behaviours, our study thus generates new insights into human social evolution.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Patterns of physical activity in hunter-gatherer children compared with US and UK children.

Sedentary lifestyles, mismatched with our active foraging history, contribute to escalating rates of non-communicable diseases. Contemporary hunter-gatherers appear to be highly active, but little is known about physical activity levels in hunter-gatherer children. We analysed 150 days of accelerometer data from 51 BaYaka hunter-gatherer children (aged 3-18) in the Republic of Congo, comparing it with British and American children (MCS and NHANES). BaYaka children were highly active, engaging in over 3 hours of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) daily, surpassing British adolescents by over 70 minutes. In US children activity declined with age; while in BaYaka children activity increased with age, unaffected by gender. Reflecting their foraging lifestyle, activity patterns varied within and between days, yet all children consistently rose with the sun. These findings highlight the impact of a foraging upbringing on childrens activity levels, providing a benchmark for understanding childhood physical activity and wellbeing.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Hunter-gatherer oral microbiomes are shaped by contact network structure

Ancestral humans evolved a complex social structure still observed in extant hunter-gatherers. Here we investigate the effects of extensive sociality and mobility on the oral microbiome of 138 Agta hunter-gatherers from the Philippines. Comparisons of microbiome composition showed that the Agta are more similar to Central African Bayaka hunter-gatherers than to neighboring farmers. We also defined the Agta social microbiome as a set of 137 oral bacteria (only 7% of 1980 amplicon sequence variants) significantly influenced by social contact (quantified through wireless sensors of short-range interactions). We show that interaction networks covering large areas, and their strong links between close kin, spouses, and even unrelated friends, can significantly predict bacterial transmission networks across Agta camps. Finally, more central individuals to social networks are also bacterial supersharers. We conclude that hunter-gatherer social microbiomes, which are predominantly pathogenic, were shaped by evolutionary tradeoffs between extensive sociality and disease spread.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2022

The making of the oral microbiome in Agta hunter-gatherers

Ecological and genetic factors have influenced the composition of the human microbiome during our evolutionary history. We analyzed the oral microbiota of the Agta, a hunter-gatherer population where part of its members is adopting an agricultural diet. We show that age is the strongest factor modulating the microbiome, likely through immunosenescence as there is an increase of pathogenicity with age. Biological and cultural processes generate sexual dimorphism in the oral microbiome. A small subset of oral bacteria is influenced by the host genome, linking host collagen genes to bacterial biofilm formation. Our data also suggests that shifting from a fish/meat to a rice-rich diet transforms their microbiome, mirroring the Neolithic transition. All these factors have implications in the epidemiology of oral diseases. Thus, the human oral microbiome is multifactorial, and shaped by various ecological and social factors that modify the oral environment.

microbiology↗