Awarded the W. W. Howells Award for the Outstanding Book in Biological Anthropology, this volume presents a comprehensive, integrated, and up-to-date overview of the major physiological and behavioral factors affecting human reproduction. In attempting to identify the most important causes of variation in fertility within and among human populations, Wood summarizes data from a wide range of societies. Trained as an anthropologist as well as a demographer, he devotes special attention to so-called ""natural fertility"" populations, in which modern contraceptives and induced abortion are not used to limit reproductive output. Such an emphasis enables him to study the interaction of biology and behavior with particular clarity.The volume weaves together the physiological, demographic, and biometric approaches to human fertility in a way that will encourage future interdisciplinary research. Instead of offering a general overview, the focus is to answer one question: Why does fertility and the number of live births vary from couple to couple within any particular population, and from population to population across the human species as a whole?Topics covered include ovarian function, conception and pregnancy, intrauterine mortality, reproductive maturation and senescence, coital frequency and the waiting time to conception, marriage patterns and the initiation of reproduction, the fertility-reducing effects of breastfeeding, the impact of maternal nutrition on reproduction, and reproductive seasonality. This unique combination of comprehensive subject matter and an integrated analytical approach makes the book ideally suited both as a graduate-level textbook and as a reference work.

This book covers human female biology, how the menstrual cycle is controlled, how steroidogenesis is controlled and how the follicle and the egg are formed. This book covers male biology, and how steroid hormones are made, and how sperm are synthesised and matured. Then this book covers sex biology, such as how the brain deals with libido and sexual images, and how the brain controls erection and ejaculation. This book deals with how sperm are matured upon intercourse, how fertilisation takes place, and how the fertilised embryo is matured and implants in the uterus. The subjects of sexuality and homosexuality, chromosome disorders and hydatidiform moles are carefully discussed and considered.

"...a 'must-have' reference text for any researcher interested in the biocultural determinants of human fertility and is appropriate as a textbook at the graduate level. I expect it to remain a standard in the literature of demographic anthropology and reproductive ecology for many years to come." --American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Our knowledge of reproductive biology has increased enormously in recent years on cellular, molecular, and genetic levels, leading to significant breakthroughs that have directly benefitted in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in humans and animal systems. Animal Models and Human Reproduction presents a comprehensive reference that reflects the latest scientific research being done in human reproductive biology utilizing domestic animal models. Chapters on canine, equine, cow, pig, frog, and mouse models of reproduction reflect frontier research in placental biology, ovarian function and fertility, non-coding RNAs in gametogenesis, oocyte and embryo metabolism, fertilization, cryopreservation, signal transduction pathways, chromatin dynamics, epigenetics, reproductive aging, and inflammation. Chapters on non-human primate models also highlight recent advancements into such issues as human in vitro fertilization (IVF) and assisted reproductive technologies (ART). This book offers animal scientists, reproductive biology scientists, clinicians and practitioners, invaluable insights into a wide range of issues at the forefront of human reproductive health.