Social Environment and Reproduction

Environment, epigenetics and reproduction

A conference summary of the third biannual Kenya Africa Conference "Environment, Epigenetics and Reproduction" is provided. A partial special Environmental Epigenetics issue containing a number of papers in Volume 3, Issue 3 and 4 are discussed.

1 Reproduction and environment

Two factors play an important part in determining the optimum number of offspring that any species should produce each pregnancy, the optimum number for the fetuses to develop normally in the uterus, and the ability of the mother to adequately suckle the newborn to the point where they are able to survive the rigors of the environment. The first is of prime importance and is determined by a rel...

Environment, human reproduction, menopause, and andropause.

As the hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator is an integrator of hormonal, metabolic, and neural signals, it is not surprising that the function of the hypothalamogonadal axis is subject to the influence of a large array of environmental factors. Before puberty, the central nervous system (CNS) restrains the GnRH pulse generator. Undernutrition, low socioeconomic st...

Cannibals, Amazons, and Social Reproduction in Amazonia

Seasonal and Social Factors Affecting Reproduction