The challenge of measuring trade-offs in human life history research

Life history theory has become a prominent framework in the evolutionary social sciences, and the concept of trade-offs, the cornerstone of life history theory in studies on non-human taxa, has likewise been widely adopted. Yet, human life history research often assumes trade-offs without demonstrating them. This is not surprising given the practical difficulties in measuring trade-offs in long-lived animals, like humans. Four main methods are used to demonstrate trade-offs: phenotypic correlations, experimental manipulations, genetic correlations and correlated responses to selection. Here, I discuss challenges with these methods along with potential solutions. For example, individual heterogeneity within a population in quality or access to resources can mask underling trade-offs, and this can be accounted for by careful experimental manipulation or proper statistical treatment of observational data. In general, trade-offs have proven more difficult than expected to measure, and evidence across species is mixed, but strong evidence exists in some cases. I use the key trade-off between reproduction and survival to exemplify methods, challenges and solutions, and review the mixed evidence for a cost of reproduction in humans. I conclude by providing directions for future research. Promising avenues are opening thanks to recent advances in quantitative genetic and genomic methods coupled with the availability of high-quality large-scale datasets on humans from different populations, allowing the study of the evolutionary implications of life history trade-offs in humans.