There is a conference this week at the University of Southampton's Centre for the Foetal Origins of Adult Diseases. The conference program is at: http://www.foad2003.org/Programme.pdf The BBC is reporting the conference. Here is their report on how foetal experiences can affect adult incomes (courageous to make that leap, but that's what happens when you let a journalist through the doors. At least the writer is quoted as saying that 'An unbalanced maternal diet can increase the mother's stress hormone levels' and this provides part of the link) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2968610.stm Another paper says foetal experiences can affect willingness to take risks (Now, couldn't we make something of THAT in terms of natural selection!): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1764044.stm And here is a third report, this one on foetal origins of adult osteoporosis: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2965342.stm Lots here on the complex inter-relationships of many variables and not all the researchers are satisfied with a simplistic, one-to-one mono-causal link between maternal nutrition and adult health. Keith ----------------------------------------------------------------- The FAQ for Evolutionary Fitness is at http://www.evfit.com/faq.htm To unsubscribe from the list send an e-mail to [log in to unmask] with the words SIGNOFF EVOLUTIONARY-FITNESS in the _body_ of the e-mail.