Increased mortality exposure within the family rather than individual mortality experiences triggers faster life-history strategies in historic human populations.

ABSTRACT: Life History Theory predicts that extrinsic mortality risk is one of the most important factors shaping (human) life histories. Evidence from contemporary populations suggests that individuals confronted with high mortality environments show characteristic traits of fast life-history strategies: they marry and reproduce earlier, have shorter birth intervals and invest less in their offspring. However, little is known of the impact of mortality experiences on the speed of life histories in historical human populations with generally higher mortality risk, and on male life histories in particular. Furthermore, it remains unknown whether individual-level mortality experiences within the family have a greater effect on life-history decisions or family membership explains life-history variation

SUBMITTER: Stormer C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3885450 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature