The Human Population
The articles presented in this issue point out, among other things, that rapid population growth cannot last long. The question is: Will population level off because of high death rates or low birth rates?
Volume 231, Issue 3
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Features
The History of the Human Population
Until Some 200 years ago the size of the human population remained fairly stable because high birth rates were balanced by high death rates. The great demographic transition came when death rates fell
The Physiology of Human Reproduction
Its complex series of events is organized by molecular messengers. Advancing knowledge of the system provides humane methods that enable couples to have the number of children they choose to have
The Genetics of Human Populations
Since the species Homo sapiens emerged less than 100,000 years ago it has by definition shared a common pool of genes. The differences within a human population are greater than those between populations
The Migrations of Human Populations
Ancient migrations carried man to almost every corner of the earth; modern ones are an ebb and flow that results from technological and economic inequality. The migrations of today are the largest of all
The Populations of the Developed Countries
These populations, a little more than a fourth of the human species, may be well on the way to long-term numerical stability. This state of affairs appears to have been achieved largely by personal choice
The Family in Developed Countries
Such countries have the same level of fertility and the same kind of family. Although that family is more specialized than it was in the past, it remains essential to both the individual and society
The Changing Status of Women in Developed Countries
The increasing number of women in the work force is reestablishing a balance between their economic and family activities. It remains unlikely that the majority will achieve occupational independence
The Populations of the Underdeveloped Countries
These populations, accounting for nearly three-fourths of the human species, will continue their rapid growth for the rest of the century. Control will eventually come through development or catastrophe
Food and Population
The earth and technology can probably provide food for a population of 40 to 50 billion. Increases infood production would help to create the conditions that would stabilize the population at a lower level
The Transfer of Technology to Underdeveloped Countries
The elimination of mass poverty is necessary to supply the motivation for fertility control in such countries. Other countries should assist in this process, not least because they have a moral obligation to do so