Human Ecology of Reproduction in Nomadic Turkana            Pastoralists
{'Code': '04040400', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'SBE', 'LongName': 'Direct For Social, Behav & Economic Scie'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'BCS', 'LongName': 'Division Of Behavioral and Cognitive Sci'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Jonathan S. Friedlaender', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
In this project Dr. Leslie and his colleagues will conduct a                    biological study of Turkana pastoralists who live in the northern               desert region of Kenya.  The goal of the research is to                         understand Turkana fertility and the team will conduct a number                 of coordinated studies.  Through menstrual diaries and salivary                 progesterone assay it will be possible to determine if and when                 women are fertile, determine individual cycle length and what                   percentage of the adult female population is fertile.  To                       understand the causes of observed patterns a number of ancillary                studies will also be carried out.  Data will be collected on                    health and nutritional status and it will be determined how these               vary over the course of the year.  Measurement will be taken to                 determine body composition and activity patterns and energy                     expenditure will be observed.  Since ties have been established                 between breast-feeding and fertility, breast-feeding patterns                   will also be studied.                                                                                                                                           The Turkana are an extremely interesting population from a                      demographic perspective.  They are pastoralists who depend on                   their herds of camels, cows, goats and sheep for food.  They live               in a harsh desert environment which receives limited amounts of                 rain only at specific times of the year.  Therefore they are                    subjected to severe stress during some seasons and milder stress                during others.  Previous work has shown that their energy intake                is low.  However (perhaps because of high protein intake) the                   average fertility level is extremely high.  Also it is extremely                seasonal.  The purpose of this study is to document this further                and determine the causes.                                                                                                                                       This research is important for several reasons.  It should                      provide additional understanding of the natural processes which                 control fertility.  Secondly, although the Turkana live in a                    highly stressful desert environment, they have adapted to it                    extremely well.  In other environmentally similar areas of                      Africa, when drought strikes, people starve unless the                          international community provides food.  The U.S. government                     expends large sums for this purpose.  Hopefully what is learned                 about Turkana adaptation can serve a useful function elsewhere in               Africa.
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[{'Code': '1391', 'Text': 'Archaeology'}, {'Code': '1392', 'Text': 'Biological Anthropology'}, {'Code': '9120', 'Text': 'CROSS-DIRECTORATE PROGRAMS'}]
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