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Evolutionary Medicine

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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

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Synonyms

Darwinian medicine

Definition

Evolutionary medicine is a transdisciplinary field of study aimed at applying evolutionary concepts and thinking to our understanding of medicine.

Introduction

Unlike the traditional approach to medicine which is aimed at identifying and treating the proximate causes (i.e., symptoms) of disease, an evolutionary medicine approach is focused on identifying the evolutionary origins (ultimate cause) of a disease and to use this to help inform medical practice (Williams and Nesse 1991; Trevathan 2010; Ruhli and Henneberg 2013). Evidence in support of evolutionary medicine is provided by observers working in various fields, including cognitive science, anthropology, demography, biochemistry and molecular biology, and genetics. Evolutionary medicine thus offers a broader and more holistic perspective to medicine. The significance of using an evolutionary approach to medicine is highlighted by the tremendous insight gained from our understanding of...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, Des Moines, IA, USA

    Kaitlyn Finneran & Muhammad A Spocter

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Des Moines University, Des Moines, IA, USA

    Teresa Aoki

  3. School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa

    Brendon K Billings & Muhammad A Spocter

  4. Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Des Moines University, Des Moines, IA, USA

    Maria J Barnes

  5. Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA

    Muhammad A Spocter

Authors
  1. Kaitlyn Finneran
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  2. Teresa Aoki
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  3. Brendon K Billings
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  4. Maria J Barnes
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  5. Muhammad A Spocter
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Muhammad A Spocter .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Todd K Shackelford

  2. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Viviana A Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Todd K Shackelford

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Finneran, K., Aoki, T., Billings, B.K., Barnes, M.J., Spocter, M.A. (2021). Evolutionary Medicine. In: Shackelford, T.K., Weekes-Shackelford, V.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19650-3_2785

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