Natural selection favors the evolution of mechanisms that optimize the allocation of resources and time among competing traits. Hormones mediate developmental plasticity, the changes in the phenotype that occur during ontogeny. Despite their highly conserved functions, the flexibilities of human hormonal systems suggest a strong history of adaptation to variable environments. Physiological research on developmental plasticity has focused on the early programming effects of stress, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) and the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPGA) during critical periods, when the hormones produced have the strongest influence on the developing brain. Often this research emphasizes the maladaptive effects of early stressful experiences. Here we posit that the HPAA and HPAG systems in human developmental plasticity have evolved to be responsive to complex and dynamic problems associated with human sociality. The lengthy period of human offspring dependency, and its associated brain development and risks, is linked to the uniquely human combination of stable breeding bonds, extensive paternal effort in a multi-male group, extended bilateral kin recognition, grandparenting, and controlled exchange of mates among kin groups. We evaluate an evolutionary framework that integrates proximate physiological explanations with ontogeny, phylogeny, adaptive function, and comparative life history data.

中文翻译：

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激素和人类发育可塑性。

自然选择有利于在竞争性特征之间优化资源和时间分配的机制的发展。激素介导发育可塑性，即个体发育过程中发生的表型变化。尽管它们的功能高度保守，但是人类荷尔蒙系统的灵活性表明了其适应可变环境的悠久历史。发育过程中的可塑性生理研究集中在压力的早期编程效应，关键时期的下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴（HPAA）和下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴（HPGA），此时产生的激素对激素的影响最大。发展中的大脑。通常，这项研究强调早期压​​力经历的不良适应作用。在这里，我们假设人类发展可塑性中的HPAA和HPAG系统已经发展为响应与人类社会相关的复杂和动态问题。人类后代的漫长时期，及其相关的大脑发育和风险，与人类独特的稳定育种纽带组合，多男性群体的广泛父辈努力，双亲关系的扩展，祖父母的育种以及受控的交配联系在一起在亲戚群体中。我们评估了一个进化框架，该框架将最近的生理学解释与个体发育，系统发育，适应功能和比较的生活史数据相结合。与稳定的育种纽带的独特人类组合，在多男性群体中的广泛父亲努力，扩展的双边亲属识别，祖父母以及可控的亲戚群体之间的交换有关。我们评估了一个进化框架，该框架将最近的生理学解释与个体发育，系统发育，适应功能和比较的生活史数据相结合。与稳定的育种纽带的独特人类组合，在多男性群体中的广泛父亲努力，扩展的双边亲属识别，祖父母以及可控的亲戚群体之间的交换有关。我们评估了一个进化框架，该框架将最近的生理学解释与个体发育，系统发育，适应功能和比较的生活史数据相结合。