Grandmothering

Hawkes, Kristen; Coxworth, James E.

doi:10.1002/9781118896877.wbiehs190

The International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality 2015

DOI: 10.1002/9781118896877.wbiehs190

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Grandmothering

Kristen Hawkes

James E. Coxworth

Abstract: The Grandmother Hypothesis aims to explain the evolution of human life history. While fertility ends at similar ages in women and other great ape females, humans have longer adult lifespans, reach adulthood later, are dependent longer, but wean babies earlier. All of these features might be the evolutionary consequences of ancestral grandmothering.

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2016

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Cited by 1 publication

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Evolution of longevity, age at last birth and sexual conflict with grandmothering

Chan

Hawkes

Kim

2016

Journal of Theoretical Biology

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We use a two-sex partial differential equation (PDE) model based on the Grandmother hypothesis. We build on an earlier model by Kim et al. (2014) by allowing for evolution in both longevity and age at last birth, and also assuming that post-fertile females support only their daughters' fertility. Similarly to Kim et al. (2014), we find that only two locally stable equilibria exist: one corresponding to great ape-like longevities and the other corresponding to hunter-gatherer longevities. Our results show that grandmothering enables the transition between these two equilibria, without extending the end of fertility. Moreover, sensitivity analyses of the model show that male competition, arising from a skew in the mating sex ratio towards males, plays a significant role in determining whether the transition from great ape-like longevities to higher longevities is possible and the equilibrium value of the average adult lifespan. Whereas grandmothering effects have a significant impact on the equilibrium value of the average age at last birth and enable the transition to higher longevities, they have an insignificant impact on the equilibrium value of the average adult lifespan.

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Evolution of longevity, age at last birth and sexual conflict with grandmothering

Chan

Hawkes

Kim

2016

Journal of Theoretical Biology

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Grandmothering

Cited by 1 publication

References 8 publications

Evolution of longevity, age at last birth and sexual conflict with grandmothering

Evolution of longevity, age at last birth and sexual conflict with grandmothering

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