Sexual selection under parental choice: the role of parents in the evolution of human mating

Evolution and Human Behavior • Vol/Iss. 28 • Published In • Pages: 403-409 •
By Apostolou, Menelaos

Abstract

This study reveals that in hunting and gathering societies thought to be akin to those of our ancestors, female choice is constained by the control that parents exercise over their daughters. Since parental control is the typical pattern of mate choice among extant foragers, it is likely that this pattern was also prevalent throughout human evolution.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Atlas of World Cultures (AWC)Researchers OwnMurdock 1981, Price 1989
Ethnographic Atlas (EA)Researchers OwnHunter-gathers only

Hypotheses (7)

HypothesisSupported
In hunting and gathering societies, parental arrangement is the most common type of marriage (405)UNKNOWN
In hunting and gathering societies, male parents, more often than female parents will control the marriage arrangements (406)UNKNOWN
In hunting and gathering societies, females will be married by puberty, or earlier (406)UNKNOWN
In hunting and gathering societies, parents arranging a marriage will look for a hardworking spouse for their child (407)UNKNOWN
In hunter-gatherer societies, divorce is common (407)UNKNOWN
In hunting and gathering societies, adultery/extramarital relations are generally punished (407)UNKNOWN
In hunting and gathering societies, elopement occurs rarely (407)UNKNOWN
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: Kate Cummings  Jessie Cohen