Data from: Effects of the demographic transition on the genetic variances and covariances of human life history traits

The recent demographic transitions to lower mortality and fertility rates
in most human societies have led to changes and even quick reversals in
phenotypic selection pressures. This can only result in evolutionary
change if the affected traits are heritable, but changes in environmental
conditions may also lead to subsequent changes in the genetic variance and
covariance (the G matrix) of traits. It currently remains unclear if there
have been concomitant changes in the G matrix of life history traits
following the demographic transition. Using 300 years of genealogical data
from Finland, we found that four key life history traits were heritable
both before and after the demographic transition. The estimated
heritabilities allow a quantifiable genetic response to selection during
both time periods, thus facilitating continued evolutionary change.
Further, the G matrices remained largely stable but revealed a trend for
an increased additive genetic variance and thus evolutionary potential of
the population after the transition. Our results demonstrate the validity
of predictions of evolutionary change in human populations even after the
recent dramatic environmental change, and facilitate predictions of how
our biology interacts with changing environments, with implications for
global public health and demography.