A research program that has been funded by private donations and the Australian Research Council
Shattering mainstream political science and grand history
The key to understanding Biohistory is that the forces governing human civilizations are based on biological reactions to food shortage, even though triggered in humans by other factors such as limits on sexual activity. To study how these mechanisms work, a number of studies have been done on rats. The hormonal and behavioral effects of mild food shortage are very similar in both species.
Future Directions
In his books, Dr Penman proposes a series of experiments which would further test and perhaps modify his ideas. Current projects include:
- The setup of a naturalistic experiment to show the effects of mild food restriction on social behavior
- Investigation of the effects of food restriction on the physiology and behavior of offspring though direct epigenetic inheritance
- Investigation of treatments that might reverse adverse epigenetic effects of early environment.
- Work on a potential treatment that would have the behavioral and physiological benefits of mild food shortage without restricting food.
Publications (peer reviewed)
- Levay E. A., Govic A., Penman J., Paolini A. G., and Kent S. (2007) Effects of adult-onset calorie restriction on anxiety-like behavior in rats. Physiology and Behavior 5; 92(5): 889-96.
Click here to Read More - Govic A., Levay E. A., Hazi, A, Penman J., Kent S. and Paolini A.G. (2008) Alterations in male sexual behaviour, attractiveness and testosterone levels induced by an adult-onset calorie restriction regimen. Behavioral Brain Research 26; 190(1):140-6.
Click here to Read More - Govic A., Kent S., Levay E. A., Hazi, A, Penman J. and Paolini A.G. (2008). Testosterone, social and sexual behavior of perinatally and lifelong calorie restricted offspring.Physiology and Behaviour 9; 94(3): 516-22.
Click here to Read More - Levay E. A., Paolini A.G., Govic A., Hazi, A, Penman J. and Kent S. (2008) Anxiety-like behaviour in adult rats perinatally exposed to maternal calorie restriction. Behavioral Brain Research 22: 191(2): 164-72.
Click here to Read More - Abbott J.D., Kent S., Levay E.A., Tucker R.V., Penman J., Tammer A.H. and Paolini A.G. (2009). The effects of calorie restriction olfactory cues on conspecific anxiety-like behaviour. Behavioral Brain Research 201: 305-310.
Click here to Read More - Levay, E.A., Paolini A.G, Govic A., Hazi A, Penman J. and Kent S. (2010) HPA and sympathoadrenal activity of adult rats perinatally exposed to maternal mild calorie restriction. Behavioral Brain Research 208: 202-208.
Click here to Read More - Levay E.A., Tammer A.H., Penman J., Kent S., Paolini A.G. (2010). Calorie restriction at increasing levels leads to augmented concentrations of corticosterone and decreasing concentrations of testosterone in rats. Nutrition Research 30(5): 366-73.
Click here to Read More - Guccione L., Paolini A.G., Penman J. and Djourma E. (2012). The effects of calorie restriction on operant responding for alcohol. Behav. Brain Res. 230: 281-7.
Click here to Read More - Guccione L., Djourma E., Penman J. and Paolini A.G. (2012). Calorie restriction inhibits relapse behavior and preference for alcohol within a two-bottle free choice paradigm in the alcohol preferring (iP) rat. Physiology and Behaviour 13: 110-111.
Click here to Read More - Govic A., Bell, A., Samuel A., Penman J., Paolini, A.G. (2014). Calorie restriction and corticosterone elevation during lactation can each modulate adult male fear and anxiety-like behavior, Hormones and Behavior, 7 September 2014.
Click here to Read More
Applying the Research
Learn more about Biohistory here.
Research collaborators are welcome and PhD scholarships and research fellowships are available at ISN. Candidates would need to have experience in such fields as endocrinology, epigenetics, and neuroscience. For more information about this, please email us.
If you would like to create your own civilisation model, download the modelling software first then start here.
