This article examines the relationship between inheritance and paternity certainty. Results indicate an "association between relatively frequent female extramarital sex and a cultural norm that allows men to designate heirs whose relatedness is relatively unaffected by low probability of paternity."

This study tests the hypothesis that humans tend to transmit wealth to male heirs where polygyny is possible. The results support this hypothesis.

This article provides a new explanation of matrilineal inheritence and paternity certainty, suggesting that matrilineal inheritance is most advantageous for women and can be described as a grandmaternal strategy. Results suggest a strong relationship between matrilineal inheritance and moderate to low probability of paternity, and an even stronger relationship between patrilineal inheritance and high probability of paternity.

This study examines the relative reproductive benefits of different types of inheritance strategies. The author argues that, on the basis of the chromosomal corollary, a male's reproductive fitness will be most enhanced if his wealth transfers to his son and his son's son rather than to his daughter. Results from previous cross-cultural studies are provided in support of this hypothesis.