文章基本信息

标题：When not to have another baby: An evolutionary approach to low fertility
本地全文：下载
作者：Ruth Mace
期刊名称：Demographic Research
印刷版ISSN：1435-9871
电子版ISSN：1435-9871
出版年度：2014
卷号：30
页码：1074-1096
DOI：10.4054/DemRes.2014.30.37
出版社：Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
摘要：Background: In this paper, I explain the theoretical foundations of fertility from the perspective of evolutionary demography and evolutionary anthropology. Objective: My goal in this paper is to provide examples of how evolutionary demography is generating and testing new hypotheses about human fertility and parental behaviour. Methods: To illustrate the paradigm of low fertility, I present several evolutionary explanations for reduced fertility, or no fertility at all. The explanations I cite are drawn from studies on child maltreatment, homosexual preference, post-demographic transition low fertility, and late-life low fertility (menopause), as these are phenomena that appear to challenge evolutionary approaches. Conclusions: I find that the sophisticated tools of behavioural ecology and evolutionary anthropology and demography can do more than simply explain high fertility, and are currently being used to generate and test new hypotheses about fertility, including hypotheses that address the issue of low fertility.
关键词：behavioral ecology;child abuse;demographic transition;evolution;homosexuality;kin selection;low fertility;menopause;parental investment