This article explores how the evolutionary psychological perspective explains cultural universals and variations. This framework is then used to test whether wealth affects parents' preferences of sons or daughters on an individual and national level. Results suggest that wealthier individuals and wealthier nations prefer sons to daughters.

This article reviews the theory that permanent animal groups have only one sex breed outside the group in order to balance genetic diversity and group relatedness. The author theorises that since males inherit valuable membership in patrilocal/lineal societies, they are expected to be more concerned about the probability of paternity than males in matrilocal/lineal societies. Moral rules, and specifically belief in moralizing gods, are expected to reflect this difference. In other words, moralizing gods are used to restrict the sexual activity of women.

This article presents evidence suggesting that sex differences in aggression are universal, but that the differences are also highly susceptible to experiential modification. Following a “phylogenetic perspective” that emphasizes the interaction of genotype and experience, the author finds that boys are on average more aggressive than girls but adult males as a group are not significantly more aggressive than women.

This article reviews the theory that permanent animal groups have only one sex breed outside the group in order to balance genetic diversity and group relatedness. The author theorises that since males inherit valuable membership in patrilocal/lineal societies, they are expected to be more concerned about the probability of paternity than males in matrilocal/lineal societies. Moral rules, and specifically belief in moralizing gods, are expected to reflect this difference. In other words, moralizing gods are used to restrict the sexual activity of women.

This study examines pairwise differences between similar cultures in order to minimize cultural variation within the SCCS and reveal possible correlates of cultural complexity. Results suggest that one measure of complexity (government above the community level) is significantly associated with several other variables.

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.

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.

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.

This article offers a behavioral ecological approach to the study of child training practicies. Gender differences in child training are discussed in light of evolutionary theory, and the author suggests training is likely tailored to promote the reproductive success of each gender. Generally, boys are trained to be more aggressive, stronger, and self-reliant; girls are trained to be more hard-working, responsible, obedient, and sexually restrained. Gender differences in child training frequently vary with degree of polygyny and/or social stratification in a society.

This article investigates incest rules, proposing that they are instituted by rulers as a way of preventing wealth-concentration among non-ruling families. Three hypotheses are derived and supported with empirical analysis. Two alternative evolutionary hypotheses are discussed and dismissed by the author.