Group Members | human-life-history.science

Virpi Lummaa

Professor
Principal investigator

I recently held an Academy of Finland Professorship at the University of Turku, Finland to study natural selection in contemporary human populations. I am keen to investigate how the modern environment itself fuels human evolution and how demographic shifts to low birth and death rates affect the opportunity for selection or specific trait selection. My group uses longitudinal demographic data from Finland spanning 350 years and 15 generations to look at how the strength and direction of selection on key fitness traits may have changed with the modernisation of societies. I also held an ERC Consolidator grant to study senescence patterns in another long-lived mammal, the Asian elephant - see The Myanmar Timber Elephant Project for details.

Funding: Academy of Finland 292368: 2016-2021; ERC-2014-CoG 648766: 2016-2021

Contact: virpi.lummaa (at) utu.fi

Virpi Lummaa CV

Lahdenperä M, Salonen M, Hiraoka T, Seltmann MW, Saramäki J, Lummaa V. 2025: Close and more distant relatives are associated with child mortality risk in historical Finland Evolutionary Human Sciences 7, 2025, e5.

DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2024.47

Ukonaho S, Lummaa V, Briga M. 2025: Socioeconomic differences in vaccination coverage after a mandatory vaccination law, 1855-1900. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(2):e2460558.

DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.60558

Nitsch A, Lummaa V, Ketola T, Honkola T, Vesakoski O, Briga M 2025: The spatial distribution of pertussis, but not measles or smallpox, in pre-industrial Finland matches dialects. iScience.

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112530

Courtiol A, Vullioud C, Rousset F, Postma E, Helle S, Lummaa V, Kylli R, Pettay JE, Røskaft E, Skjærvø GR, Störmer C, Voland E, Waldvogel D, Rickard IJ. 2024: Reply to: Maternal capacity, winning and fertility: the last birth matters. Nature Communications 15: 8446.

DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-52549-2

Laato J, Kanerva J, Loehr J, Lummaa V, Ginter F. 2024: Extracting Social Connections from Finnish Karelian refugee interviews using LLMs. CHR 2024: Computational Humanities Research Conference, December 46, 2024, Aarhus, Denmark.

Ceur-ws.org/Vol-3834/paper52

Chapman SN, Lummaa V 2024: Grandmother effects over the Finnish demographic transition. Evolutionary Human Sciences 6, e6, 1-12.

DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2023.36

Salonen M, Lahdenperä M, Rotkirch A, Lummaa V. 2024: Fertility resilience varies by socioeconomic status and sex: Historical trends in childlessness across 150 years. iScience 27: 110227.

DOI:10.1016/j.isci.2024.110227

Chapman S, Danielsbacka M, Tanskanen AO, Lahdenperä M, Pettay J, Lummaa V. 2023: Grandparental co-residence and grandchild survival: the role of resource competition in a pre-industrial population. Behavioural Ecology 34(3), 446–456.

DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad013

Young EA, Chesterton E, Lummaa V, Postma E, Dugdale HL. 2023: The long-lasting legacy of reproduction: lifetime reproductive success shapes expected genetic contributions of humans after 10 generations. Proc R Soc B 290: 20230287.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0287

Nitsch A, Faurie C, Lummaa V. 2023: Sibling competition, dispersal and fitness outcomes in humans. Scientific Reports 13, 7539.

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33700-3

Ross CT, Hooper PL, Smith JE +100... Pettay J, Lummaa V, Helle S ... et al. 2023: Reproductive inequality in humans and other mammals. PNAS 120 (22) e222012412.

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220124120

Ukonaho S, Chapman SN, Briga M, Lummaa V. 2023: Grandmother presence improved grandchild survival against childhood infections but not vaccination coverage in historical Finns. Proc. R. Soc. B 290: 20230690.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0690

Kauppi JJ, Chapman SN, Pettay JE, Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V, Loehr J. 2023: Sex, age, and family structure influence dispersal behaviour after a forced migration. Evolutionary Human Sciences 5, e21.

DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2023.16

Zhang L, Liu J, Lummaa V. 2022: Intention to have a second child, family support and actual fertility behavior in current China: An evolutionary perspective. American Journal of Human Biology.

DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23669

Lynch R, Loehr J, Lummaa V, Honkola T, Pettay J, Vesakoski O. 2022: Socio-cultural similarity with host population rather than ecological similarity predicts success and failure of human migrations. Proc. R. Soc. B. 289:1967.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2298

Rickard I, Vullioud C, Rousset F, Postma E, Helle S, Lummaa V, Kylli R, Pettay J, Røskaft E, Skjærvø GR, Störmer C, Voland E, Waldvogel D, Courtiol A. 2022: Mothers with higher twinning propensity had lower fertility in pre-industrial Europe. Nature Communications 13: 2886.

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30366-9

Ukonaho S, Lummaa V, Briga M. 2022: The Long-Term Success of Mandatory Vaccination Laws After Implementing the First Vaccination Campaign in 19th Century Rural Finland. American Journal of Epidemiology, kwac048.

DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwac048

Galante L, Lahdenperä M, Rautava S, Pentti J, Ollila H, Tarro S, Vahtera J, Gonzales-Inca C, Kivimäki M, Lummaa V, Lagström H. 2022: Neighborhood Disadvantage, Greenness, and Population Density as Predictors of Breastfeeding Practices: A Population Cohort Study from Finland. Journal of Nutrition 152(7), 1721–1728.

DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac069

Ketola T, Briga M, Honkola T, Lummaa V. 2021: Town population size and structuring into villages and households drive infectious disease risks in pre-healthcare Finland. Proc. R. Soc. B 288: 20210356.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0356

Nenko I, Chapman SN, Lahdenperä M, Pettay JE, Lummaa V. 2021: Will granny save me? Birth status, survival, and the role of grandmothers in historical Finland. Evolution and Human Behavior.

DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.11.002

Chapman SN, Lahdenperä M, Pettay JE, Lynch RF, Lummaa V. 2021: Offspring fertility and grandchild survival enhanced by maternal grandmothers in a pre-industrial human society. Scientific Reports 11, 3652.

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83353-3

Pettay JE, Lummaa V, Lynch R, Loehr R. 2021: Female-biased sex ratios in urban centers create a “fertility trap” in post-war Finland. Behavioural Ecology, arab007.

DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab007

Pettay JE, Chapman SN, Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V. 2020: Family dynamics and age-related patterns in marriage probability. Evolution and Human Behavior.

DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2019.09.001

Seltmann MW, Ukonaho S, Reichert S, Dos Santos D, Nyein UK, Htut W, Lummaa V 2020: Faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and H/L ratio are related markers of stress in semi-captive Asian timber elephants Animals.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10010094

Lynch R, Lummaa V, Briga M, Chapman SN, Loehr J. 2020: Child volunteers in a women's paramilitary organization in World War II have accelerated reproductive schedules. Nature Communications 11:2377.

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15703-0

Danielsbacka M, Aho L, Lynch R, Pettay J, Lummaa V, Loehr J. 2020: The Resettlement and Subsequent Assimilation of Evacuees from Finnish Karelia during and after the Second World War. Digital Histories: Emergent Approaches within the New Digital History, 129. Fridlund M, Oiva M, Paju P (eds.).

DOI: 10.33134/HUP-5

Chapman SN, Pettay JE, Lummaa V, Lahdenperä M. 2019: Limits to fitness benefits of prolonged post-reproductive lifespan in women. Current Biology.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.12.052

Lynch R, Lummaa V, Panchanathan K, Middleton K, Rotkirch A, Danielsbacka M, O’Brien D, Loehr J. 2019: Integration involves a trade-off between fertility and status for World War II evacuees. Nature Human Behaviour vol 3 (April 2019): 337-345..

DOI: 10.1038/s41562-019-0542-5

Self sacrifice and kin psychology in war: threats to family predict decisions to volunteer for a women's paramilitary organization. (Accepted manuscript) 2019: lynch_et_al_2019_evol_hum_beh.pdf Evolution and Human Behaviour.

DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2019.06.001

Lynch R, Lummaa V, Loehr J. 2019: Self sacrifice and kin psychology in war: threats to family predict decisions to volunteer for a women's paramilitary organization. Evolution and Human Behaviour.

DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2019.06.001

2019: karjalainen_0.pdf Karjalainen 22.9.2019.

2019: Keskisuomalainen 22.9.2019 .

2019: Savon Sanomat 22.9.2019 .

Chapman SN, Jackson J, Htut W, Lummaa V, Lahdenperä M. 2019: Asian elephants exhibit post-reproductive lifespans. BMC Evolutionary Biology.

DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1513-1

Laisk T, Tšuiko O, Jatsenko T, Hõrak P, Otala, M, Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V, Tuuri T, Salumets A, Tapanainen J. 2019: Demographic and evolutionary trends in ovarian function and aging. Human Reproduction Update 25(1): 34-50.

DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmy031

Pettay J, Lahdenperä M, Rotkirch A, Lummaa V. 2018: Effects of female reproductive competition on birth rate and reproductive scheduling in a historical human population. Behavioural Ecology, arx168.

DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx168

Nenko I, Hayward AD, Simons MJP, Lummaa V. 2018: Early-life environment and differences in costs of reproduction in a preindustrial human population. PloS ONE 13(12).

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207236

Chapman SN, Pettay JE, Lummaa V, Lahdenperä M. 2018: Limited support for the X-linked grandmother hypothesis in pre-industrial Finland. Biology Letters.

DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0651

Corbett S, Courtiol A, Lummaa V, Moorad J, Stearns S. 2018: The transition to modernity and chronic disease: mismatch and natural selection. Nature Reviews Genetics.

DOI: 10.1038/s41576-018-0012-3

Chapman SN, Pettay JE, Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V. 2018: Grandmotherhood across the demographic transition. PLoS ONE 13(7): e0200963.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200963

Griffin R, Hayward AD, Bolund E, Maklakov AA, Lummaa V. 2018: Sex differences in adult mortality rate mediated by early-life environmental conditions. Ecology Letters.

DOI: 10.1111/ele.12888

Liu J, Lummaa V. 2018: Whether to have a second child or not? An integrative approach to women's reproductive decision-making in current China. Evolution and Human Behaviour.

DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2018.11.004

2017: Lapsen maailma 11/2017 Virpi Lummaa ja mummoteoria Lapsen maailma 11/2017, pp. 12-17..

2017: Lapsen maailma 11/2017 Eka aukeama .

Bolund E, Lummaa V. 2017: The effects of resource availability and the demographic transition on the genetic correlation between number of children and grandchildren in humans. Heredity 1–7.

DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2016.81

Liu J, Duan C, Lummaa V. 2017: Parent-offspring conflict over family size in current China. American Journal of Human Biology.

DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22946

Crawley JAH, Mumby HS, Chapman SN, Lahdenperä M, Mar KU, Htut W, Thura Soe A, Aung HH, Lummaa V. 2017: Is bigger better? The relationship between size and reproduction in female Asian elephants. Journal of Evolutionary Biology.

DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13143

Briga M, Griffin RM, Berger V, Pettay JE, Lummaa V. 2017: What have humans done for evolutionary biology? Contributions from genes to populations. Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1164

Euroopan komission Suomen-edustuston teemajulkaisu 2017: Apuraha auttaa huipputiimin kokoamisessa. Europa TEEMA 4/2017 Tutkimusrahoitus, Virpi Lummaa s. 10-11.

https://ec.europa.eu/finland/sites/finland/files/europa_teema_2017_4_tutkimusrahoitus.pdf

Chapman SN, Lahdenperä M, Pettay JE, Lummaa V. 2017: Changes in length of grandparenthood in Finland 1790-1959. Finnish Yearbook of Population Research.

DOI: 10.23979/fypr.65346

Loehr J, Lynch R, Mappes J, Salmi T, Pettay J, Lummaa V. 2017: Newly digitized database reveals the lives and families of forced migrants from Finnish Karelia. Finnish Yearbook of Population Research.

DOI:10.23979/fypr.65212

Bolund E, Lummaa V, Smith KR, Hanson HA, Maklakov AA. 2016: Reduced costs of reproduction in females mediate a shift from a male-biased to a female-biased lifespan in humans. Scientific Reports 6:24672.

DOI: 10.1038/srep24672

Bolund E, Hayward A, Lummaa V. 2016: Life History Evolution, Human. Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology, Volume 2.

DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-800049-6.00097-4

Berg V, Lummaa V, Rickard IJ, Silventoinen K, Kaprio J, Jokela M. 2016: Genetic associations between personality traits and lifetime reproductive success in humans. Behavior Genetics.

DOI: 10.1007/s10519-016-9803-5

Hayward AD, Rigby FL, Lummaa V. 2016: Early-life disease exposure and associations with adult survival, cause of death, and reproductive success in preindustrial humans. PNAS 113:32.

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1519820113

Lahdenperä M, Mar KU, Lummaa V. 2016: Nearby grandmother enhances calf survival and reproduction in Asian elephants. Scientific Reports 6, Article 27213.

DOI: 10.1038/srep27213

Nitsch A, Faurie C, Lummaa V. 2016: Sibship effects on dispersal behaviour in a pre-industrial human population. Journal of Evolutionary Biology.

DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12922

Chapman SN, Mumby HS, Crawley JAH, Mar KU, Htut W, Thura Soe A, Aung HH, Lummaa V. 2016: How big is it really? Assessing the efficacy of indirect estimates of body size in Asian elephants. PLoS ONE 11(3): e0150533.

DOI: 10.1371/journal. pone.0150533

Scranton K, Lummaa V, Stearns SC. 2016: The importance of the timescale of the fitness metric for estimates of selection on phenotypic traits during a period of demographic change. Ecology Letters 19:854–861 .

DOI: 10.1111/ele.12619

Crawley JAH, Chapman SN, Lummaa V, Lynsdale CL. 2016: Testing storage methods of faecal samples for subsequent measurement of helminth egg numbers in the domestic horse. Veterinary Parasitology 221:130–133.

DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.03.012

Pettay JE, Lahdenperä M, Rotkirch A, Lummaa V. 2016: Costly reproductive competition between co-resident females in humans. Behavioural Ecology 27(6):1601-1608.

DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw088

Hayward AD, Lummaa V, Bazykin GA. 2015: Fitness consequences of advanced ancestral age over three generations in humans. PLoS ONE 10(6): e0128197.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128197

Hayward AD, Nenko I, Lummaa V. 2015: Early-life reproduction is associated with increased mortality risk but enhanced lifetime fitness in pre-industrial humans. Proc. R. Soc. B: 282(1804).

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.3053

Lahdenperä M, Mar KU, Lummaa V. 2015: Short-term and delayed effects of mother death on calf mortality in Asian elephants. Behavioural Ecology 27(1).

DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv136

Mumby HS, Chapman SN, Crawley JAH, Mar KU, Htut W, Thura Soe A, Aung HH, Lummaa V. 2015: Distinguishing between determinate and indeterminate growth in a long-lived mammal. BMC Evolutionary Biology 15:214.

DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0487-x

Bolund E, Hayward A, Pettay JE, Lummaa V. 2015: Effects of the demographic transition on the genetic variances and covariances of human life-history traits. Evolution 69-3:747–755.

DOI: 10.1111/evo.12598

Bruckner T, Helle S, Bolund E, Lummaa V. 2015: Culled males, infant mortality and reproductive success in a pre-industrial Finnish population. Proc. R. Soc. B 282(1799).

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0835

Pettay JE, Rotkirch A, Courtiol A, Jokela M, Lummaa V. 2014: Effects of remarriage after widowhood on long-term fitness in a monogamous historical human population. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 68(1):135-143.

DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1630-6

Helle S, Brommer JE, Pettay JE, Lummaa V, Enbuske M, Jokela J. 2014: Evolutionary demography of agricultural expansion in preindustrial northern Finland. Proc. R. Soc. B 281: 20141559.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1559

Jokela J, Alvergne A, Rotkirch A, Rickard IJ, Lummaa V. 2014: Associations between family size and offspring education depend on aspects of parental personality. Personality and Individual Differences 58:95–100.

DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2013.10.009

Lahdenperä M, Mar KU, Lummaa V. 2014: Reproductive cessation and post-reproductive lifespan in Asian elephants and pre-industrial humans. Frontiers in Zoology 11:54.

DOI: 10.1186/s12983-014-0054-0

Nenko I, Hayward AD, Lummaa V. 2014: The effect of socio-economic status and food availability on first birth interval in a pre-industrial human population. Proc. R. Soc. B 281:20132319.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.2319

Alvergne A, Lummaa V. 2014: Ecological variation in wealth–fertility relationships in Mongolia: the ‘central theoretical problem of sociobiology’ not a problem after all? Proc. R. Soc. B 281: 20141733.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1733

Nitsch A, Faurie C, Lummaa V. 2014: Alloparenting in humans: fitness consequences of aunts and uncles on survival in historical Finland. Behavioral Ecology 25(2):424–433.

DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art126

Lahdenperä M, Mar KU, Lummaa V. 2014: Reproductive cessation and post-reproductive lifespan in Asian elephants and pre-industrial humans Frontiers in Zoology 11:54.

DOI: 10.1186/s12983-014-0054-0

Störmer C, Lummaa V. 2014: Increased mortality exposure within the family rather than individual mortality experiences triggers faster life-history strategies in historic human populations. PLoS ONE 9(1) e83633.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083633

Liu J, Lummaa V. 2014: An evolutionary approach to change of status–fertility relationship in human fertility transition. Behavioral Ecology 25(1):102-109.

DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art091

Nitsch A, Faurie C, Lummaa V. 2013: Are elder siblings helpers or competitors? Antagonistic fitness effects of sibling interactions in humans. Proc. R. Soc. B 280.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.2313

Lummaa V. 2013: Human behavioral ecology. In Princeton Guide to Evolution Edited by Losos, BJ. Princeton University Press. Princeton Guide to Evolution, Edition: First Chapter: Human Behavioral Ecology. Princeton University Press, pp.683-689.

Courtiol A, Rickard IJ, Lummaa V, Prentice AM, Fulford AJC, Stearns SC. 2013: The demographic transition influences variance in fitness and selection on height and BMI in rural Gambia Current Biology 23, 884–889.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.04.006

Bolund E, Bouwhuis S, Pettay JE, Lummaa V. 2013: Divergent selection on, but no genetic conflict over, female and male timing and rate of reproduction in a human population. Proc R Soc B 280: 20132002.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.2002

Gillespie DOS, Russell AF, Lummaa V. 2013: The effect of maternal age and reproductive history on offspring survival and lifetime reproduction in preindustrial humans. Evolution 11.

DOI: 10.1111/evo.12078

Hayward AD, Lummaa V. 2013: Testing the evolutionary basis of the predictive adaptive response hypothesis in a preindustrial human population. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health pp. 106–117 .

DOI: 10.1093/emph/eot007

Hayward AD, Rickard IJ, Lummaa V. 2013: Influence of early-life nutrition on mortality and reproductive success during a subsequent famine in a preindustrial population. PNAS 110(34):13886-13891.

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1301817110

Helle S, Lummaa V. 2013: A trade-off between having many sons and shorter maternal post-reproductive survival in pre-industrial Finland. Biology Letters 9: 20130034.

DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0034

Maklakov AA, Lummaa V. 2013: Evolution of sex differences in lifespan and aging: Causes and constraints. Bioessays 35(8):717-24.

DOI: 10.1002/bies.201300021

Courtiol A, Pettay J, Jokela M, Rotkirch A, Lummaa V. 2012: Natural and sexual selection in a monogamous historical human population. PNAS 109(21):8044-8049.

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1118174109

Hayward AD, Holopainen J, Pettay JE, Lummaa V. 2012: Food and fitness: associations between crop yields and life-history traits in a longitudinally monitored pre-industrial human population. Proc. R. Soc. B 279, 4165-4173.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.1190

Holopainen J, Gregow H, Helama S, Kubin E, Lummaa V, Terhivuo J. 2012: Suomen kasvifenologisista havainnoista 1700-luvun puolivälistä nykypäivään. Sorbifolia 43(2):51-66.

Lahdenperä M, Gillespie DOS, Lummaa V, Russell AF. 2012: Severe intergenerational reproductive conflict and the evolution of menopause. Ecology Letters 15(11):1283–1290.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01851.x

Liu J, Rotkirch A, Lummaa V. 2012: Maternal risk of breeding failure remained low throughout the demographic transitions in fertility and age at first reproduction in Finland. PLoS ONE 7(4).

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034898

Rickard IJ, Courtiol A, Lummaa V. 2012: Why is lifetime fertility higher in twinning women? Proc. R. Soc. B 279:2510-2511.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0191

Rickard IJ, Courtiol A, Prentice AM, Fulford AJC, Clutton-Brock TH, Lummaa V. 2012: Intergenerational effects of maternal birth season on offspring size in rural Gambia. Proc. R. Soc. B 279:4253-4262.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.1363

Rickard IJ, Prentice AM, Fulford AJC, Lummaa V. 2012: Twinning propensity and offspring in utero growth covary in rural African women. Biology Letters 8:67-70.

DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.0598

Silva AS, Lummaa V, Muller U, Mazur A, Raymond M, Alvergne A. 2012: Facial attractiveness and fertility in populations with low levels of modern birth control. Evolution and Human Behavior 33(5):491–498.

DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2012.01.002

Liu J, Lummaa V. 2011: Age at first reproduction and probability of reproductive failure in women. Theoretical Contribution. Evolution and Human Behavior 32:433–443.

DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2010.10.007

Jokela M, Alvergne A, Pollet TV, Lummaa V. 2011: Reproductive behavior and personality traits of the five factor model European Journal of Personality 25:487–500.

DOI: 10.1002/per.822

Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V, Russell AF. 2011: Selection on male longevity in a monogamous human population: late-life survival brings no additional grandchildren. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 24(5):1053-63.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02237.x

Lahdenperä M, Tremblay M, Russell AF, Lummaa V. 2011: Selection on menopause in two premodern human populations: no evidence for the mother hypothesis. Evolution 65(2):309–612.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01142.x

Alvergne A, Jokela J, Lummaa V. 2010: Personality and reproductive success in a high-fertility human population. PNAS 107(26):11745–11750.

10.1073/pnas.1001752107

Alvergne A, Lummaa V. 2010: Does the contraceptive pill alter mate choice in humans? Trends in Ecology & Evolution 25(3):171–179.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2009.08.003

Gillespie DOS, Lahdenperä M, Russell AF, Lummaa V. 2010: Pair-bonding modifies the age-specific intensities of natural selection on human female fecundity. The American Naturalist 176(2).

DOI: 10.1086/653668

Helle S, Lummaa V, Jokela J. 2010: On the number of sons born and shorter lifespan in historical Sami mothers. Proc. R. Soc. B 277:2909–2911.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.2114

Jokela M, Rotkirch A, Rickard IJ, Pettay J, Lummaa V. 2010: Serial monogamy increases reproductive success in men but not in women. Behavioral Ecology.

DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq078

Rickard IJ, Holopainen J, Helama S, Helle S, Russell AF, Lummaa V. 2010: Food availability at birth limited reproductive success in historical humans. Ecology 91(12):3515–3525.

DOI: 10.1890/10-0019.1

Alvergne A, Lummaa V. 2010: Human mate preference: inconsistency between data and interpretations. Response to Carere et al. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 25:491-492.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2010.06.008

Alvergne A, Jokela J, Faurie C, Lummaa V. 2010: Personality and testosterone in men from a high-fertility population. Personality and Individual Differences 49(8):840-844.

DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2010.07.006

Lummaa V. 2010: Costs and consequences of reproduction. HomoNovus - A Human Without Illusions 111-126.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-12142-5_9

Faurie C, Russell AF, Lummaa V. 2009: Middleborns disadvantaged? Testing birth-order effects on fitness in pre-industrial Finns. PLoS ONE 4(5): e5680.

DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0005680

Rickard IJ, Lummaa V, Russel AF. 2009: Elder brothers affect the life history of younger siblings in preindustrial humans: social consequence or biological cost? Evolution and Human Behavior 30:49–57.

DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2008.08.001

Russell AF, Lummaa V. 2009: Maternal effects in cooperative breeders: from hymenopterans to humans. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 364:1143–1167.

DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0298

Gillespie DOS, Russell AF, Lummaa V. 2008: When fecundity does not equal fitness: evidence of an offspring quantity versus quality trade-off in pre-industrial humans. Proc. R. Soc. B 275:713–722.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.1000

Helle S, Lummaa V, Jokela J. 2008: Marrying women 15 years younger maximized men’s evolutionary fitness in historical Sami. Biology Letters 4:75–77.

DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2007.0538

Pettay JE, Charmantier A, Wilson AJ, Lummaa V. 2008: Age-specific genetic and maternal effects in fecundity of preindustrial Finnish women. Evolution 62-9: 2297–2304.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00452.x

Rickard IJ, Lummaa V. 2007: The predictive adaptive response and metabolic syndrome: Challenges for the hypothesis. Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism 18(3): 94-99.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2007.02.004

Rickard IJ, Russell AF, Lummaa V. 2007: Producing sons reduces lifetime reproductive success of subsequent offspring in pre-industrial Finns. Proc. R. Soc. B 274:2981–2988.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.1051

Lummaa V. 2007: Life history theory, reproduction and longevity in humans. Oxford Handbook of evolutionary psychology 397-414.

DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198568308.013.0027

Lahdenperä M, Russell AF, Lummaa V. 2007: Selection for long lifespan in men: benefits of grandfathering? Proc. R. Soc. B 274:2437–2444.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.0688

Lummaa V, Pettay JE, Russell AF. 2007: Male twins reduce fitness of female co-twins in humans. PNAS 104(26):10915-10920.

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0605875104

Pettay JE, Helle S, Jokela J, Lummaa V. 2007: Natural selection on female life-history traits in relation to socio-economic class in pre-industrial human populations. PLoS ONE 7:e606.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000606.t001

Helle S, Lummaa V, Jokela J. 2005: Are reproductive and somatic senescence coupled in humans? Late, but not early, reproduction correlated with longevity in historical Sami women. Proc. R. Soc. B 272:29–37.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2004.2944

Pettay JE, Kruuk LEB, Jokela J, Lummaa V. 2005: Heritability and genetic constraints of life-history trait evolution in preindustrial humans. PNAS 102(8):2838-2843.

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0406709102

Helle S, Lummaa V, Jokela J. 2004: Selection for increased brood size in historical human populations. Evolution 58(2):430–436.

Helle S, Lummaa V, Jokela J. 2004: Accelerated immunosenescence in preindustrial twin mothers. PNAS 101(33):12391–12396.

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0402215101

Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V, Helle S, Tremblay M, Russell AF. 2004: Fitness benefits of prolonged post-reproductive lifespan in women. Nature 428(11):178-181.

DOI: 10.1038/nature02367

Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V, Russell AF. 2004: Menopause: why does fertility end before life? Climacteric 7:327–332.

DOI: 10.1080/13697130400012205

Lummaa V. 2004: Church records advancing evolutionary biology. Trends in Ecology & Evolution: Book Reviews 19(6):286-287.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2004.03.028

Lummaa V. 2003: Early developmental conditions and reproductive success in humans: Downstream effects of prenatal famine, birthweight, and timing of birth. American Journal of Human Biology 15:370–379.

DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.10155

Lummaa V, Tremblay M. 2003: Month of birth predicted reproductive success and fitness in pre-modern Canadian women. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 270:2355–2361.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2003.2507

Helle S, Lummaa V, Jokela J. 2002: Effect of producing sons on maternal longevity in premodern populations. Science 298(5592):317.

DOI: 10.1126/science.298.5592.317a

Helle S, Lummaa V, Jokela J. 2002: Sons reduced maternal longevity in preindustrial humans. Science 296(5570):1085.

DOI: 10.1126/science.1070106

Lummaa V, Clutton-Brock TH. 2002: Early development, survival and reproduction in humans. TREE 17(3):141-147.

DOI: 10.1016/S0169-5347(01)02414-4

Lummaa V. 2001: Reproductive investment in pre-industrial humans: the consequences of offspring number, gender and survival. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 268:1977-1983.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2001.1786

Lummaa V, Jokela J, Haukioja E. 2001: Gender difference in benefits of twinning in pre-industrial humans. boys did not pay. Journal of Animal Ecology 70:739–746.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2001.178610.1046/j.0021-8790.2001.00537.x

Tullberg BS, Lummaa V. 2001: Induced abortion ratio in modern Sweden falls with age, but rises again before menopause. Evolution and Human Behavior 22:1-10.

DOI: 10.1016/S1090-5138(00)00057-X

Ranta E, Lummaa V, Kaitala V, Merilä J. 2000: Spatial dynamics of adaptive sex ratios. Ecology Letters 3:30-34.

DOI: 10.1046/j.1461-0248.2000.00112.x

Lummaa V, Haukioja E, Lemmetyinen R. 1999: Does polyovulation counterbalance a high abortion rate in humans? Journal of Evolutionary Biology 12(4):806-808.

DOI: 10.1046/j.1420-9101.1999.00080.x

Lummaa V, Haukioja E, Lemmetyinen R, Pikkola M. 1998: Natural selection on human twinning. Nature 394:533-534.

DOI: 10.1038/28977

Lapsen maailma 11/2017 lehtijuttu Virpistä ja mummoteoriasta Lapsen maailma 11/2017.

Virpi Lummaa CV .

europa_teema_2017_4_tutkimusrahoitus-1_virpi_pages_10-11.pdf .

Dr. Virpi Lummaa

Mirkka Lahdenperä

PhD, Researcher

Research interests: My research interests have been mainly focused on evolutionary benefits and conflicts of family living in humans (PhD thesis) and currently in Asian elephants. I am especially interested in the relationship between longevity and fitness and the inter-generational effects on these traits. My current research combines previous expertise on co-operative breeding in humans with examining the longitudinal dataset on Asian elephants from Myanmar. The study provides an opportunity to compare evolution of life-history traits in humans and elephants sharing many similarities such as long lifespan, high cognitive abilities, long offspring dependency and social groups containing several generations of breeders. Currently I’m also collaborating to clarify the benefits and costs of family living in pre-industrial Eastern Finnish families.
Starting in March 2020, I moved to work in the Department of Public Health at the University of Turku. Currently I work in the NetResilience Project.

Contact: mirkka.lahdenpera (at) utu.fi

Lahdenperä M, Salonen M, Hiraoka T, Seltmann MW, Saramäki J, Lummaa V. 2025: Close and more distant relatives are associated with child mortality risk in historical Finland Evolutionary Human Sciences 7, 2025, e5.

DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2024.47

Salonen M, Lahdenperä M, Rotkirch A, Lummaa V. 2024: Fertility resilience varies by socioeconomic status and sex: Historical trends in childlessness across 150 years. iScience 27: 110227.

DOI:10.1016/j.isci.2024.110227

Chapman S, Danielsbacka M, Tanskanen AO, Lahdenperä M, Pettay J, Lummaa V. 2023: Grandparental co-residence and grandchild survival: the role of resource competition in a pre-industrial population. Behavioural Ecology 34(3), 446–456.

DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad013

Kauppi JJ, Chapman SN, Pettay JE, Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V, Loehr J. 2023: Sex, age, and family structure influence dispersal behaviour after a forced migration. Evolutionary Human Sciences 5, e21.

DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2023.16

Galante L, Lahdenperä M, Rautava S, Pentti J, Ollila H, Tarro S, Vahtera J, Gonzales-Inca C, Kivimäki M, Lummaa V, Lagström H. 2022: Neighborhood Disadvantage, Greenness, and Population Density as Predictors of Breastfeeding Practices: A Population Cohort Study from Finland. Journal of Nutrition 152(7), 1721–1728.

DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac069

Chapman SN, Lahdenperä M, Pettay JE, Lynch RF, Lummaa V. 2021: Offspring fertility and grandchild survival enhanced by maternal grandmothers in a pre-industrial human society. Scientific Reports 11, 3652.

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83353-3

Nenko I, Chapman SN, Lahdenperä M, Pettay JE, Lummaa V. 2021: Will granny save me? Birth status, survival, and the role of grandmothers in historical Finland. Evolution and Human Behavior.

DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.11.002

Pettay JE, Chapman SN, Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V. 2020: Family dynamics and age-related patterns in marriage probability. Evolution and Human Behavior.

DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2019.09.001

Laisk T, Tšuiko O, Jatsenko T, Hõrak P, Otala, M, Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V, Tuuri T, Salumets A, Tapanainen J. 2019: Demographic and evolutionary trends in ovarian function and aging. Human Reproduction Update 25(1): 34-50.

DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmy031

Chapman SN, Pettay JE, Lummaa V, Lahdenperä M. 2019: Limits to fitness benefits of prolonged post-reproductive lifespan in women. Current Biology.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.12.052

Chapman SN, Jackson J, Htut W, Lummaa V, Lahdenperä M. 2019: Asian elephants exhibit post-reproductive lifespans. BMC Evolutionary Biology.

DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1513-1

Pettay J, Lahdenperä M, Rotkirch A, Lummaa V. 2018: Effects of female reproductive competition on birth rate and reproductive scheduling in a historical human population. Behavioural Ecology, arx168.

DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx168

Chapman SN, Pettay JE, Lummaa V, Lahdenperä M. 2018: Limited support for the X-linked grandmother hypothesis in pre-industrial Finland. Biology Letters.

DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0651

Chapman SN, Pettay JE, Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V. 2018: Grandmotherhood across the demographic transition. PLoS ONE 13(7): e0200963.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200963

Crawley JAH, Mumby HS, Chapman SN, Lahdenperä M, Mar KU, Htut W, Thura Soe A, Aung HH, Lummaa V. 2017: Is bigger better? The relationship between size and reproduction in female Asian elephants. Journal of Evolutionary Biology.

DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13143

Chapman SN, Lahdenperä M, Pettay JE, Lummaa V. 2017: Changes in length of grandparenthood in Finland 1790-1959. Finnish Yearbook of Population Research.

DOI: 10.23979/fypr.65346

Lahdenperä M, Mar KU, Lummaa V. 2016: Nearby grandmother enhances calf survival and reproduction in Asian elephants. Scientific Reports 6, Article 27213.

DOI: 10.1038/srep27213

Pettay JE, Lahdenperä M, Rotkirch A, Lummaa V. 2016: Costly reproductive competition between co-resident females in humans. Behavioural Ecology 27(6):1601-1608.

DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw088

Lahdenperä M, Mar KU, Lummaa V. 2015: Short-term and delayed effects of mother death on calf mortality in Asian elephants. Behavioural Ecology 27(1).

DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv136

Lahdenperä M, Mar KU, Lummaa V. 2014: Reproductive cessation and post-reproductive lifespan in Asian elephants and pre-industrial humans Frontiers in Zoology 11:54.

DOI: 10.1186/s12983-014-0054-0

Berg V, Lahdenperä M, Rotkirch A, Jokela M. 2014: Personality and long-term reproductive success measured by the number of grandchildren. Evolution and Human Behavior 35(6).

DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.07.006

Lahdenperä M, Mar KU, Lummaa V. 2014: Reproductive cessation and post-reproductive lifespan in Asian elephants and pre-industrial humans. Frontiers in Zoology 11:54.

DOI: 10.1186/s12983-014-0054-0

Lahdenperä M, Gillespie DOS, Lummaa V, Russell AF. 2012: Severe intergenerational reproductive conflict and the evolution of menopause. Ecology Letters 15(11):1283–1290.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01851.x

Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V, Russell AF. 2011: Selection on male longevity in a monogamous human population: late-life survival brings no additional grandchildren. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 24(5):1053-63.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02237.x

Lahdenperä M, Tremblay M, Russell AF, Lummaa V. 2011: Selection on menopause in two premodern human populations: no evidence for the mother hypothesis. Evolution 65(2):309–612.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01142.x

Gillespie DOS, Lahdenperä M, Russell AF, Lummaa V. 2010: Pair-bonding modifies the age-specific intensities of natural selection on human female fecundity. The American Naturalist 176(2).

DOI: 10.1086/653668

Lahdenperä M, Russell AF, Lummaa V. 2007: Selection for long lifespan in men: benefits of grandfathering? Proc. R. Soc. B 274:2437–2444.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.0688

Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V, Helle S, Tremblay M, Russell AF. 2004: Fitness benefits of prolonged post-reproductive lifespan in women. Nature 428(11):178-181.

DOI: 10.1038/nature02367

Lahdenperä M, Lummaa V, Russell AF. 2004: Menopause: why does fertility end before life? Climacteric 7:327–332.

DOI: 10.1080/13697130400012205

Dr. Mirkka Lahdenperä

Mirkka Lahdenperä

Aïda Nitsch

PhD, Post Doctoral Researcher

Research interests: I am a behavioural ecologist and my research mainly aimed at understanding the evolutionary outcomes of family characteristics and how it could lead to different fitness maximizing strategies between family members. For instance, I investigated how having elder siblings was linked to differences in survival, reproductive success or dispersal decisions.
My current project at the University of Turku lies in the field of historical epidemiology and focuses on the spread of smallpox in Nordic countries during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. More specifically, this project will characterize the epidemiological dynamics of smallpox, map out its spread across Nordic countries and investigate how migration could modulate these dynamics.

Funding: Nordforsk; project Nordemics. Profi7-funding
Contact: aida.nitsch (at) utu.fi

Nitsch A, Lummaa V, Ketola T, Honkola T, Vesakoski O, Briga M 2025: The spatial distribution of pertussis, but not measles or smallpox, in pre-industrial Finland matches dialects. iScience.

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112530

Nitsch A, Faurie C, Lummaa V. 2023: Sibling competition, dispersal and fitness outcomes in humans. Scientific Reports 13, 7539.

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33700-3

Aida Nitsch

Milla Salonen

Publications

Lahdenperä M, Salonen M, Hiraoka T, Seltmann MW, Saramäki J, Lummaa V. 2025: Close and more distant relatives are associated with child mortality risk in historical Finland Evolutionary Human Sciences 7, 2025, e5.

DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2024.47

Salonen M, Lahdenperä M, Rotkirch A, Lummaa V. 2024: Fertility resilience varies by socioeconomic status and sex: Historical trends in childlessness across 150 years. iScience 27: 110227.

DOI:10.1016/j.isci.2024.110227

Susanna Ukonaho

MSc, PhD student

Research interests: My current research investigates how vaccination and vaccination refusal affect the prevalence of disease epidemics and survival. For studying the effects of vaccination before public healthcare, I use 200 year Finnish vaccination records on the first vaccination campaign against smallpox. Thus far, smallpox remains the only successfully eradicated infectious disease and identifying its epidemiological characteristics can help to improve the effectiveness of vaccination and fight the spread of other infectious diseases.
I have also worked with Academy Professor Lummaa and the Myanmar Timber Elephant Project (MTEP) for my MSc project at the University of Turku, Finland.

Funding: Doctoral Programme in Biology, Geography and Geology (BGG)
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1085-1549
Contact: susanna.s.ukonaho (at) utu.fi

Ukonaho S, Lummaa V, Briga M. 2025: Socioeconomic differences in vaccination coverage after a mandatory vaccination law, 1855-1900. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(2):e2460558.

DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.60558

Ukonaho S, Chapman SN, Briga M, Lummaa V. 2023: Grandmother presence improved grandchild survival against childhood infections but not vaccination coverage in historical Finns. Proc. R. Soc. B 290: 20230690.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0690

Ukonaho S, Lummaa V, Briga M. 2022: The Long-Term Success of Mandatory Vaccination Laws After Implementing the First Vaccination Campaign in 19th Century Rural Finland. American Journal of Epidemiology, kwac048.

DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwac048

Seltmann MW, Ukonaho S, Reichert S, Dos Santos D, Nyein UK, Htut W, Lummaa V 2020: Faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and H/L ratio are related markers of stress in semi-captive Asian timber elephants Animals.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10010094

Jenni Kauppi

Siiri Aalto

Euan Young

MSc, PhD student

Research interests: My current research is investigating senescence, examining why we age and why some of us age faster than others? I am based at the University of Groningen, NL, and to explore these questions I am combining the Finnish dataset with another historical dataset of humans from the Swiss canton of Glarus. In particular, I will be using a quantitative genetics framework to examine the life history trade-offs underlying senescence; the interaction of genetic and environmental factors on senescence patterns; and how these changed across the demographic transition.

I also recently completed an MSc in evolutionary and behavioural ecology from the University of Exeter, UK.

Contact: e.a.young@rug.nl

Young EA, Chesterton E, Lummaa V, Postma E, Dugdale HL. 2023: The long-lasting legacy of reproduction: lifetime reproductive success shapes expected genetic contributions of humans after 10 generations. Proc R Soc B 290: 20230287.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0287

Euan Young

Euan Young

Anne Hemmi

PhD, Research Coordinator

Project Management

Contact: hemmi (at) utu.fi

Dr. Anne Hemmi

Anne Hemmi