Review by Choice Review
At first consideration, a book about the human placenta might seem to be of interest primarily to specialists. But Power and Schulkin (both, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; coauthors, The Evolution of Obesity, CH, Nov'09, 47-1461) ably demonstrate that placental evolution touches on many current themes in evolutionary biology. While the specifics are not always totally known, there are tantalizing clues as to how the placenta, mainly through the production of hormones and other signaling molecules, is involved in gene imprinting, maternal-fetal and maternal-paternal conflict, and the fetal origins of adult disease. Because the placenta connects a genetically distinct mother and fetus, its interaction with the immune system receives considerable attention, including a provocative but still untested hypothesis to explain humans' high rate of pregnancy loss. This hypothesis is just one example of the authors' use of evolutionary medicine to explain today's gestational maladies. They also consider placental anatomy and convincingly argue that unique aspects of the human placenta are not tied to either humans' bipedal locomotion or large brain. While there is much to recommend this book, the writing is somewhat inconsistent in terms of an intended audience, and more illustrations would have been useful. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. S. Stinson emerita, CUNY Queens College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
