More recently, the oversimplified use of evolutionary concepts in sociobiology and evolutionary psychology has undermined the credibility of these disciplines ( Allen et al. The latter has colored the reception of all applications of evolutionary knowledge to human biology and medicine, in particular those related to behavior ( Kevles 1985 Paul 2003). The decline of interest in Darwinism within medicine in the second half of the twentieth century was linked to the rise of a reductionist, molecular biological approach to disease, but also to the reaction to the forced control of reproduction for political and ideological reasons, most notoriously in Nazi Germany. It was used to support theories of disease that explained predisposition to a disorder as an expression of a particular pathological constitution or type, and to justify diverse social and medical initiatives, together known as eugenics, towards promoting the reproduction of “good” types and restraining the reproduction of those deemed “unworthy” ( Paul 1995 Zampieri 2009). From the publication of On The Origin of Species (1859) to the 1940s, Darwinism played an important role in biological, medical, and social sciences alike. Charles Darwin saw hereditary disease as proof of inheritance of variation ( Bynum 1983). Over 200 years ago, Erasmus Darwin famously argued that the value of what is known today as an evolutionary approach would be to “unravel the theory of diseases” ( Darwin 1794). Further, there are a number of aspects of evolutionary medicine that can add considerably to studies in other domains of contemporary evolutionary studies. Coupled with complementary insights offered by advances in genomic, epigenetic, and developmental biology research, evolutionary perspectives offer an important addition to understanding disease. These perspectives provide a more cohesive framework for gaining insights into the determinants of health and disease. We consider these evolutionary principles in conjunction with population genetics and describe several pathways by which evolutionary processes can affect disease risk.
![the story of the human body: evolution, health, and disease the story of the human body: evolution, health, and disease](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1081493222810181632/BhysHzw0.jpg)
The key principles of evolutionary medicine are that selection acts on fitness, not health or longevity that our evolutionary history does not cause disease, but rather impacts on our risk of disease in particular environments and that we are now living in novel environments compared to those in which we evolved. However, there is a lack of awareness of their importance amongst physicians, medical researchers, and educators, all of whom tend to focus on the mechanistic (proximate) basis for disease, excluding consideration of evolutionary (ultimate) reasons. An appreciation of the fundamental principles of evolutionary biology provides new insights into major diseases and enables an integrated understanding of human biology and medicine.