Flexibility in reproductive timing in human females: integrating ultimate and proximate explanations |
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Authors: | Nettle Daniel |
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Affiliation: | Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, UK. daniel.nettle@ncl.ac.uk |
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Abstract: | From an ultimate perspective, the age of onset of female reproduction should be sensitive to variation in mortality rates, and variation in the productivity of non-reproductive activities. In accordance with this prediction, most of the cross-national variation in women's age at first birth can be explained by differences in female life expectancies and incomes. The within-country variation in England shows a similar pattern: women have children younger in neighbourhoods where the expectation of healthy life is shorter and incomes are lower. I consider the proximate mechanisms likely to be involved in producing locally appropriate reproductive decisions. There is evidence suggesting that developmental induction, social learning and contextual evocation may all play a role. |
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Keywords: | human behavioural ecology life history reproductive strategies developmental plasticity developmental programming |
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