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Thomas V. Pollet
Thomas V. Pollet
Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
Dept. of Social Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
Department of Social Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat, II, 1, Room 449, 9712TS, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Dept. of Social Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
Department of Social Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat, II, 1, Room 449, 9712TS, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Daniel Nettle
Daniel Nettle
Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
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Abstract
In a series of recent papers, Kanazawa has extended the Trivers-Willard hypothesis by suggesting that possession of any heritable trait that improves male reproductive success to a greater extent than it does female reproductive success will lead to a male-biased offspring sex ratio (at the individual level). He produces supporting evidence that big and tall parents have more sons than daughters. Here we test this hypothesis using two large datasets from very different populations, one British and one from rural Guatemala. There was no support for Kanazawa's extension of the Trivers-Willard hypothesis in either sample. Maternal marital status was the only predictor of offspring sex ratio but this effect was very small and limited to the British sample. Results are discussed with reference to recent studies of sex-ratio variation in humans.
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