Fitness costs of warfare for women

Human Nature • Vol/Iss. 25 • Springer US • • Published In • Pages: 476-495 •
By Sugiyama, Michelle Scalise

Abstract

This article offers an exploratory study of the fitness costs of warfare on women. The author examines stories of inter-group conflict cross-culturally and finds that warfare exerts significant selection pressure on women, such as killing or capturing women, or killing their offspring or mate. The author suggests that future research should examine female cognition in relation to these selective pressures.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Ethnographic Atlas (EA)Researchers Ownlimited to forager and forager-horticulturalist societies

Hypotheses (1)

HypothesisSupported
Coalitional violence exerted selection pressure on women as well as men (489).Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: Megan Farrer  jack.dunnington