The author argues for the use of sexual selection as a theoretical framework to give meaning to the various cross-cultural studies that show significant association between form of marriage (polygyny vs. monogamy) and other cultural, social, and personality variables. The author suggests that "marriage systems reflect individual reproductive strategies."

This article refines previous research on marriage transactions and offers descriptions of new types of marriage transactions. First, the authors examine the frequency and distribution of marriage transactions. Second,the authors use a bio-cultural approach to examine how differences in male and female reproductive strategies and the kin selection theory are associated with marriage transactions.

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 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 article presents a reanalysis of the theory put forth by Hartung (1981) regarding the relationship between inheritance and paternity confidence. The authors take issue with the original sample used and retest the hypothesis.

Using paternal investment theory, the authors examine the relationship between paternal confidence and paternal investment in humans.

This study argues that different types of homosexuality must be examined separately. Authors focus on mentorship and pathic homosexual behavior and test factors that are associated with these two types of behavior.

This article examines direction of succession and inheritance as they relate to culture area and kinship system. Several hypotheses are presented and all are supported.

In this article, the authors reconsider the polygyny threshold model in order to account for the "polygyny paradox." This paradox, as the authors define it, is the trend away from polygyny as societies adopt stratified agricultural economies. This is despite an increase in both the importance of material wealth and greater leaves of wealth inequality both of which would otherwise suggest increased polygyny. The authors develop a new model that does account for this paradox.

This book is a comprehensive analysis of many aspects of social structure including family, clan, community, kinship terminology, social organization, regulation of sex, incest taboos, and sexual choice.