- 10 Sachem St.
New Haven, CT 06511
USA - 203-432-3685
Claudia Valeggia
Yale University, Anthropology, Faculty Member
- National Science Foundation, Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences, Department MemberUniversity of Pennsylvania, Anthropology, Faculty MemberWenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Post-Ph.D. Research Grants, Department Memberadd
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To address claims of human exceptionalism, we determine where humans fit within the greater mammalian distribution of reproductive inequality. We show that humans exhibit lower reproductive skew (i.e., inequality in the number of... more
To address claims of human exceptionalism, we determine where humans fit within the greater mammalian distribution of reproductive inequality. We show that humans exhibit lower reproductive skew (i.e., inequality in the number of surviving offspring) among males and smaller sex differences in reproductive skew than most other mammals, while nevertheless falling within the mammalian range. Additionally, female reproductive skew is higher in polygynous human populations than in polygynous nonhumans mammals on average. This patterning of skew can be attributed in part to the prevalence of monogamy in humans compared to the predominance of polygyny in nonhuman mammals, to the limited degree of polygyny in the human societies that practice it, and to the importance of unequally held rival resources to women’s fitness. The muted reproductive inequality observed in humans appears to be linked to several unusual characteristics of our species—including high levels of cooperation among males...
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Background Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are an abundant class of compounds found in human milk and have been linked to the development of the infant, and specifically the brain, immune system, and gut microbiome. Objectives Advanced... more
Background Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are an abundant class of compounds found in human milk and have been linked to the development of the infant, and specifically the brain, immune system, and gut microbiome. Objectives Advanced analytical methods were used to obtain relative quantitation of many structures in approximately 2000 samples from over 1000 mothers in urban, semirural, and rural sites across geographically diverse countries. Methods LC-MS−based analytical methods were used to profile the compounds with broad structural coverage and quantitative information. The profiles revealed their structural heterogeneity and their potential biological roles. Comparisons of HMO compositions were made between mothers of different age groups, lactation periods, infant sexes, and residing geographical locations. Results A common behavior found among all sites was a decrease in HMO abundances during lactation until approximately postnatal month 6, where they remained relatively ...
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ObjectivesCesarean delivery may increase childhood infectious morbidity risks via altered birth exposures and subsequent immune, microbial, and epigenetic development. Many Latin American indigenous populations experience dual burdens of... more
ObjectivesCesarean delivery may increase childhood infectious morbidity risks via altered birth exposures and subsequent immune, microbial, and epigenetic development. Many Latin American indigenous populations experience dual burdens of infectious and chronic diseases, and are particularly vulnerable to rising rates of cesarean delivery and associated adverse outcomes. The Qom/Toba are an indigenous population in Argentina experiencing rapid lifestyle transitions. We hypothesized that cesarean delivery would be associated with increased risk of infectious symptoms in Qom children after adjusting for gestational and nutritional factors.MethodsWe conducted a secondary analysis of birth records and monthly anthropometric and illness data collected previously from 90 Qom children (aged 1‐55 months). We tested for additive effects of birth mode on risk of gastrointestinal (GI) and respiratory illness (RI) in mixed‐effects logistic regression models adjusting for child weight‐for‐age (WA...
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Background and objectives Cesarean section may lead to suboptimal breastfeeding outcomes, though evidence has been mixed. Factors, such as premature birth, birth weight and maternal age may independently increase risk of cesarean and... more
Background and objectives Cesarean section may lead to suboptimal breastfeeding outcomes, though evidence has been mixed. Factors, such as premature birth, birth weight and maternal age may independently increase risk of cesarean and hinder breastfeeding initiation, while maternal preferences, support and sociostructural barriers may influence breastfeeding practices beyond the immediate postpartum period. Methodology We assessed impacts of cesarean section and gestational factors on breastfeeding duration among Indigenous Qom mothers in Argentina who have strong traditional breastfeeding support. We modeled transitions from exclusive breastfeeding to complementary feeding and from complementary feeding to full weaning in a Bayesian time-to-event framework with birth mode and gestational covariates (n = 89 infants). Results Estimated median time to full weaning was 30 months. Cesarean-delivered babies were weaned an average of 5 months later adjusting for gestational age, maternal p...
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El cambio climático y el Antropoceno plantean numerosos desafíos para todos los sectores de la humanidad. Desde la antropología, uno de ellos es como utilizar el profundo conocimiento situado sobre las relaciones humano-ambiente para la... more
El cambio climático y el Antropoceno plantean numerosos desafíos para todos los sectores de la humanidad. Desde la antropología, uno de ellos es como utilizar el profundo conocimiento situado sobre las relaciones humano-ambiente para la adaptación al cambio ambiental acelerado, en especial de las comunidades de frontera que son a la vez el objeto de estudio tradicional de la disciplina y los principales afectados por el deterioro ambiental. Se presenta entonces la construcción de nicho como una forma holística de integrar estos conocimientos y se presenta el ejemplo del Gran Chaco. Para ello se discuten tanto prácticas pasadas de domesticación del paisaje, como las principales modificaciones actuales y se analiza una problemática socioambiental reciente: la inundación de la comunidad Toba de Sombrero Negro de 2018. Por último, se describen proyecciones climáticas para el área y hacemos un llamado a una antropología biológica que sirva para vivir en el Antropoceno.
Research Interests: Humanities and Art
Community informe (policy brief) presented to the Namqom community in Formosa, Argentina, discussing results of a community survey of water quality and water access.
Informes and policy briefs written for Namqom community members and organization. Briefs describe results of investigations carried out by researchers and students affiliated with the Chaco Area Reproductive Ecology (CARE) Program.
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Quality mentorship is crucial for long‐term success in academia and overall job satisfaction. Unfortunately, formal mentorship training is lacking, and there is little recourse for failed mentor–mentee relationships.
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Background As part of the ubiquitous nutritional transition indigenous are experiencing, the typical diet of most indigenous communities is being substituted by one with high-fat and high-energy-density foods. Domestic feeding transmits... more
Background As part of the ubiquitous nutritional transition indigenous are experiencing, the typical diet of most indigenous communities is being substituted by one with high-fat and high-energy-density foods. Domestic feeding transmits cultural factors through meaning and symbolism influential in food, preparation, and meal experiences, which in turn influence children's eating habits differently among social groups. Objectives The aims of this study were to explore the food consumption patterns of Qom preschoolers and to describe cultural domains about the significance of feeding in this indigenous population in northern Argentina. Methods This cross-sectional and mixed-methods study was conducted in 2016–2017 and focused on 160 preschoolers and their mothers in the village of Namqom. It used a closed questionnaire, three 24-h recalls, and free listing techniques. Results Qom preschoolers had a high prevalence of excess weight (25%) and stunting (16%). Mothers reported only 38...
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Reproductive senescence patterns have been scarcely studied in Neotropical primates. The few studies available on the hormonal profiles of aging female monkeys indicate that the decline of ovarian function in nonhuman primates may... more
Reproductive senescence patterns have been scarcely studied in Neotropical primates. The few studies available on the hormonal profiles of aging female monkeys indicate that the decline of ovarian function in nonhuman primates may resemble the hormonal events associated with the perimenopause in women. In this study, we explore a reproductive hormone profile of an aged black-and-gold howler monkey female (Alouatta caraya) from a wild population in northeastern Argentina and compare this profile with that of a cycling female in the same population. As part of a larger study, we recorded sociosexual behaviors in adult and subadult females belonging to two groups, and we collected urine (n = 877) to determine the sex hormone profile of each female. These samples were analyzed using enzyme immunoassays for estrone conjugates and pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG). We found differences in mean values of PdG between the younger (cycling) and the older female. These hormone values were lower...
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Background: Nurses and midwives are in a prime position to provide mothers with valuable information and support; however, they can vary considerably in their knowledge of breastfeeding practices and their displays of support and... more
Background: Nurses and midwives are in a prime position to provide mothers with valuable information and support; however, they can vary considerably in their knowledge of breastfeeding practices and their displays of support and encouragement of breastfeeding. Objective: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the effect of nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and counseling practices on breastfeeding outcomes in Philadelphia hospitals. Methods: Data was collected from 105 nurses and midwives from obstetric units of two Philadelphia teaching hospitals using a self-administered questionnaire assessing infant feeding practices in the unit, knowledge of effective breastfeeding practices and physiology, attitudes towards breastfeeding, and beliefs towards unit practices. Multivariate logistic regression was used to obtain adjusted odds ratios. Results: The majority of participants promoted exclusive breastfeeding (70.5%; n=74) however, many also reported the use of supplements (...
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To explore social determinants of drinking water beliefs and practices among the Tz'utujil Maya of Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, through analysis of demographics, socioeconomic status, memory of historical events, sensory experience,... more
To explore social determinants of drinking water beliefs and practices among the Tz'utujil Maya of Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, through analysis of demographics, socioeconomic status, memory of historical events, sensory experience, and water attitudes. Parallel mixed (qualitative and quantitative) methods, including participant observation, in-depth interviews based on a purposive sample, and 201 semi-structured interviews based on a regional quota sample, were used to collect data from March 2007 to August 2008. Data analysis included the use of grounded theory methodology and Pearson's chi-square test for independence. Qualitative results based on grounded theory highlighted how memory of the Guatemalan Civil War and Hurricane Stan, attitudes about Lake Atitlán water, and the taste and smell of chlorine influenced Tz'utujil Maya drinking water beliefs. Quantitative survey results revealed that differences in ethnicity, literacy, years of schooling, distrust of the wat...
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Summary. The proximate causes of the contraceptive effect of lactation are still a matter of productive debate. This study sought to disentangle the relative impact that intense breast-feeding practices and maternal nutrition have on the... more
Summary. The proximate causes of the contraceptive effect of lactation are still a matter of productive debate. This study sought to disentangle the relative impact that intense breast-feeding practices and maternal nutrition have on the regulation of ovarian function in nursing women. A mixed- longitudinal, direct-observational, prospective study was conducted of the return to postpartum fecundity in 113 breast-feeding, well-nourished Toba women. A sub-sample of 70 women provided data on nursing behaviour, daily activities, diet quality and urinary levels of oestrone and progesterone metabolites. Well-nourished, intensively breast-feeding Toba women experi- enced a relatively short period of lactational amenorrhoea (10·24·3 months) and a high lifetime fertility (TFR=6·7 live births/woman). Duration of lactational amenorrhoea was not correlated with any of the nursing parameters under study or with static measures of maternal nutritional status. The results indicated that the patter...
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The Toba represent one of the many indigenous groups inhabiting the Gran Chaco of South America. They currently live in communities with different degrees of acculturation. We present here a preliminary data on fecundity and mortality... more
The Toba represent one of the many indigenous groups inhabiting the Gran Chaco of South America. They currently live in communities with different degrees of acculturation. We present here a preliminary data on fecundity and mortality estimates for a rural Toba ...
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Testosterone, Aging, and Seasonality Among Toba Men of Northern Argentina. DSpace/Manakin Repository. ...
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El descenso de la fecundidad en Latinoamérica ha sido uno de los procesos demográficos más importantes del siglo XX. Sin embargo, también se destaca la recuperación demográfica de poblaciones indígenas, como los toba de Formosa. Estos... more
El descenso de la fecundidad en Latinoamérica ha sido uno de los procesos demográficos más importantes del siglo XX. Sin embargo, también se destaca la recuperación demográfica de poblaciones indígenas, como los toba de Formosa. Estos grupos chaqueños mantienen aspectos de su tradicional estilo de vida cazador-recolector, pero se encuentran en un proceso de transición cultural y socioeconómico que afecta sus pautas reproductivas. En este trabajo se analiza la variación temporal de su fecundidad y su relación con los principales determinantes próximos entre los años 1981 y 2002. Se calcularon varios indicadores y los resultados evidencian valores pretransicionales de fecundidad. También se encontraron valores crecientes de fertilidad en el tiempo, lo que correspondería al inicio cada vez más temprano del ciclo de procreación y al creciente ritmo reproductivo.The decrease in fertility rates in Latin America has been one of the most important demographic processes of the 20th century. ...
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Indigenous populations all over the world are experiencing dramatic lifestyle changes that have serious consequences for their population structure. Evidence is accumulating, particularly in smallscale societies living in tropical... more
Indigenous populations all over the world are experiencing dramatic lifestyle changes that have serious consequences for their population structure. Evidence is accumulating, particularly in smallscale societies living in tropical regions, that points to synergistic interactions among socio-economic, historical, and cultural agents and their effect on the demographic, nutritional, and epidemiological composition of a group, which in turn feeds back to demographic patterns to portrait a dynamic picture of population change (Benefice et al. 2007; Coimbra and Santos 2004; Lourenco et al. 2008; Malina et al. 2008; Mc Sweeney 2004a; 2004b). Most of these native communities are adopting “western” lifestyles as the inevitable product of the contact with industrialized, marketeconomy hegemonic cultures (Santos and Coimbra 1998). This process of “Westernization” is characterized by the abandonment of traditional ways of life, including a shift in subsistence practices from hunting and gather...
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Resumen El descenso de la fecundidad en Latinoamérica es uno de los procesos demográficos más importantes del siglo XX. Sin embargo, también se destaca el número ascendente de reportes que señalan la recuperación demográfica de... more
Resumen El descenso de la fecundidad en Latinoamérica es uno de los procesos demográficos más importantes del siglo XX. Sin embargo, también se destaca el número ascendente de reportes que señalan la recuperación demográfica de poblaciones aborígenes las cuales, en algunos casos, respondería a una creciente fecundidad. La población rural Toba, se encuentra en una transición cultural y socio-económico que afectaría su reproducción. Este trabajo analizar la variación de la fecundidad y algunos de sus principales determinantes próximos. Las fuentes de datos fueron registros censales y de nacimientos relevados por agentes sanitarios Toba; registros médicos y del Registro Civil y entrevistas a mujeres mayores de 11 años. Entre los años 1981 y 2002 se analizó la TGF, el intervalo protogenésico, la edad materna al primer hijo y el intervalo intergenésico. Los resultados evidencian valores pre-transicionales de fecundidad y una tendencia creciente. Esto se debe al inicio temprano del ciclo ...
OBJECTIVES Current human infant urine collection methods for the field are problematic for the researcher and potentially uncomfortable for the infant. In this study, we compared two minimally invasive methods for collecting infant urine:... more
OBJECTIVES Current human infant urine collection methods for the field are problematic for the researcher and potentially uncomfortable for the infant. In this study, we compared two minimally invasive methods for collecting infant urine: organic cotton balls and filter paper. MATERIALS AND METHODS We first collected urine from infants using the clean catch method. We then used those samples to compare the performance of filter paper and cotton ball collection protocols. We analyzed the clean catch and cotton samples using commercial estrone-3-glucuronide (E1G) kits and tried two different extraction methods for the filter paper. Using a paired t-test (n = 10), we compared clean catch and cotton samples. We also compared effect sizes within and between methods. RESULTS We were unable to extract enough urine from the filter paper to successfully assay the samples for E1G. The paired t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between the clean catch and cotton methods (t =...
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Adaptive immune proteins in mothers' milk are more variable than innate immune proteins across populations and subsistence strategies. These results suggest that the immune defenses in milk are shaped by a mother's environment... more
Adaptive immune proteins in mothers' milk are more variable than innate immune proteins across populations and subsistence strategies. These results suggest that the immune defenses in milk are shaped by a mother's environment throughout her life. Mother's milk contains immune proteins that play critical roles in protecting the infant from infection and priming the infant's developing immune system during early life. The composition of these molecules in milk, particularly the acquired immune proteins, is thought to reflect a mother's immunological exposures throughout her life. In this study, we examine the composition of innate and acquired immune proteins in milk across seven populations with diverse disease and cultural ecologies. Milk samples ( = 164) were collected in Argentina, Bolivia, Nepal, Namibia, Philippines, Poland and the USA. Populations were classified as having one of four subsistence patterns: urban-industrialism, rural-shop, horticulturalist-f...
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Pair-living and socially monogamous primates typically do not reproduce before dispersing. It is currently unclear whether this reproductive suppression is due to endocrine or behavioral mechanisms. Cooperatively breeding taxa, like... more
Pair-living and socially monogamous primates typically do not reproduce before dispersing. It is currently unclear whether this reproductive suppression is due to endocrine or behavioral mechanisms. Cooperatively breeding taxa, like callitrichids, may forego reproduction in natal groups because they reap inclusive fitness benefits and/or they are avoiding inbreeding. However, neither of these benefits of delayed reproduction appear to adequately explain the lack of reproduction prior to leaving the natal group in pair-living monogamous species. In this study, we determined whether wild Azara's owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) in the Argentinean Chaco establish reproductive maturity prior to dispersing. We utilized 635 fecal extracts to characterize reproductive hormone profiles of 11 wild juvenile and subadult females using enzyme immunoassays. Subadult females showed hormone profiles indicative of ovulatory cycling and had mean PdG and E1G concentrations approximately five times high...
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The present study aimed at investigating the timing of birth across the day in a rural population of indigenous and nonindigenous women in the province of Formosa, Argentina in order to explore the variation in patterns in a non-Western... more
The present study aimed at investigating the timing of birth across the day in a rural population of indigenous and nonindigenous women in the province of Formosa, Argentina in order to explore the variation in patterns in a non-Western setting. This study utilized birth record data transcribed from delivery room records at a rural hospital in the province of Formosa, northern Argentina. The sample included data for Criollo, Wichí, and Toba/Qom women (n = 2421). Statistical analysis was conducted using directional statistics to identify a mean sample direction. Chi-square tests for homogeneity were also used to test for statistical significant differences between hours of the day. The mean sample direction was 81.04°, which equates to 5:24 AM when calculated as time on a 24-hr clock. Chi-squared analyses showed a statistically significant peak in births between 12:00 and 4:00 AM. Birth counts generally declined throughout the day until a statistically significant trough around 5:00 ...
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Pubertal timing is in part mediated by environmental factors, with greater energy availability often associated with earlier or more rapid development. Many indigenous populations are undergoing socioeconomic change that may affect... more
Pubertal timing is in part mediated by environmental factors, with greater energy availability often associated with earlier or more rapid development. Many indigenous populations are undergoing socioeconomic change that may affect pubertal development and related health risks, necessitating fundamental longitudinal research on growth and development in these populations. Growth velocity and time to menarche among peri-urban indigenous Qom (Toba) girls in Argentina are described. From 2011-2015, monthly anthropometrics and menstrual status were collected from 61 Qom girls aged 7-14. Growth velocity curves were generated using the 'Super-imposition by translation and rotation' (SITAR) method. Median time to menarche was estimated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Mean ages at peak height, weight and BMI velocity were estimated at 10.8, 10.5 and 10.7 years and median age at menarche at 11.6 years (95% CI = 11.4-11.9). At menarche, 45% of girls were overweight or obese and onl...
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Human milk contains essential micronutrients for growth and development during early life. Environmental pollutants, such as potentially toxic metals, can also be transferred to the infant through human milk. These elements have been... more
Human milk contains essential micronutrients for growth and development during early life. Environmental pollutants, such as potentially toxic metals, can also be transferred to the infant through human milk. These elements have been well-studied, but changing diets and environments and advances in laboratory technology require re-examining these elements in a variety of settings. The aim of this study was to characterize the concentrations of essential and toxic metals in human milk from four diverse populations. Human milk samples (n = 70) were collected in Argentina (n = 21), Namibia (n = 6), Poland (n = 23), and the United States (n = 20) using a standardized mid-feed collection procedure. Milk concentrations of calcium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese, lead, arsenic, and cadmium were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We used standard multiple linear regression models to evaluate differences among populations, while including infant age, infan...
Research Interests: Argentina, Poland, Multidisciplinary, Humans, United States, and 4 moreFemale, PLoS one, Trace Elements, and Human Milk
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Chasmagnathus crabs placed in the dark compartment (DC) of a double-chamber device and given electrical shocks whenever they entered or remained in the light compartment (LC), showed an LC-avoidance behavior when tested 24 h after a... more
Chasmagnathus crabs placed in the dark compartment (DC) of a double-chamber device and given electrical shocks whenever they entered or remained in the light compartment (LC), showed an LC-avoidance behavior when tested 24 h after a training session of three 30-min periods with 60-min intervals. The avoidance behavior depended neither on the shock number nor on the distribution at training but only on exposure to the LC-shock contingency, thus suggesting that crabs learn to associate the LC with an aversive situation. The learning outcome disclosed a higher degree of refraining from entering the LC rather than a faster escaping to the DC. Distributed practice proved more effective on crab avoidance learning than massive practice. Retention of the learned behavior occurred after a 24-h rest interval in an environment different from that of the training apparatus. Experimental devices previously used in avoidance learning studies with crabs were improved here by automating both the computation of latency values and the event recording.