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Resources
This section brings together useful resources and entry points to help you navigate the field of evolutionary medicine and its relevance to osteopathic practice. It is not an exhaustive collection, but rather a space designed to help you gradually become familiar with the concepts underpinning the EvOstea project. Some of the content introduces fundamental concepts, whilst others offer avenues for further exploration.
What is evolutionary medicine?
A perspective, not a discipline
Evolutionary medicine does not introduce new techniques or replace existing models. Rather, it proposes a shift in perspective: integrating immediate explanations of biological phenomena with an interpretation that takes into account their origins and their development over time. In this sense, it is not a new specialism, but a lens that can be applied across the board in clinical practice.
Because the body isn’t ‘designed’
The human body is not the result of an optimal design, but of a historical process involving gradual adaptations. Evolution does not build from scratch: it modifies what already exists, operating within constraints and compromises. This implies that many biological characteristics are not ‘perfect’, but simply adequate in relation to the contexts in which they developed.
Vulnerability as a biological phenomenon
Many recurring conditions cannot be fully understood if viewed solely as localised errors or malfunctions. Some vulnerabilities represent predictable outcomes of the organism’s adaptive history. Viewing them as biological phenomena, rather than as isolated anomalies, allows us to place them within a broader context.
From symptom to trajectory
The evolutionary perspective introduces a broader temporal dimension into clinical reasoning. A symptom is not merely an event to be observed in the present, but part of a trajectory that encompasses development, adaptation and context. This shift makes it possible to move beyond a purely local interpretation and to tailor the intervention in a more coherent manner.
Tinbergen’s four questions
A framework comprising four fundamental questions for explaining any biological trait or clinical condition.
Mechanism — How does it work?
This level concerns immediate processes: physiology, biomechanics and neurophysiology. It is the level on which much of clinical practice focuses.
Development — How did it come about?
Here, we consider the individual’s history: development, adaptations and environmental exposures. This helps us understand how a particular pattern has emerged over time.
Function — What is it for?
Some biological phenomena may have a functional significance, even when they appear problematic. This level invites us to consider their potential adaptive value.
Evolution — Where does it come from?
This section explores the evolutionary origins of biological characteristics. It helps us understand why certain structures or functions have specific vulnerabilities.
Integrating these four levels enables us to move from a local interpretation of the symptom to a layered interpretation.
Further information about the model
Evolutionary Vignettes
Examples of clinical reasoning and case histories to understand common biological and pathological features.
→ Coming Soon
Institutions
A leading international organisation specialising in the study of evolutionary implications for public health and medicine.
An open-access academic journal that publishes research essential to understanding diseases through an evolutionary lens.
One of the world’s most prestigious academic centres for interdisciplinary research at the intersection of evolution, genetics and clinical medicine.
Readings
Why we get sick.
Nesse & Williams. The origins of evolutionary thinking as systematically applied to clinical medicine.
The Story of the Human Body
Daniel Lieberman. A fundamental analysis of human evolution and mismacht-related disorders.
Evolution and Medicine
Robert Perlman. A rigorous academic text exploring the links between genetics, biology and evolution.
This archive is constantly updated to serve as a dynamic resource for healthcare professionals interested in evolutionary medicine.