Evolutionary Mismatch

Seasonal eating is argued to make evolutionary sense only when paired with broader seasonal constraints such as fasting and darkness-aligned sleep. Dunbar's number is used as an approximate limit for stable reciprocal social tracking. Humans and great apes lack functional uricase, contributing to higher uric acid than many mammals. Uricase loss is presented as adaptive under scarcity because it helped primates conserve energy and maintain fuel availability. The mismatch hypothesis is used to explain how once-adaptive traits can become harmful in changed environments. Urban proximity does not necessarily satisfy the evolved need for reciprocal social bonds. The modern environment chronically activates pathways adapted for intermittent scarcity and seasonal food exposure. Obsessive compulsive disorder is presented as a useful threat-checking mechanism that can misfire. Modern abundance can turn an adaptive high-calorie food preference into a disease risk.