The “polygyny-threshold model” posits that polygyny occurs when the costs of sharing a husband are offset by equal or greater resource access than could otherwise be obtained via monogamy
The “polygyny-threshold model” posits that polygyny occurs when the costs of sharing a husband are offset by equal or greater resource access than could otherwise be obtained via monogamy (17, 18). Supporting this model, polygynous men are typically wealthier than monogamous men (19, 20)
These findings are consistent with classic evolutionary and economic models suggesting that sharing a husband can be in a woman’s strategic interest, at least in contexts where women depend on men for resources, by enabling access to equal or greater wealth than could be achieved by opting for monogamy (17, 18).
The Meru also have the highest educational attainment (34), which is associated with transitions to low fertility. Once individuals opt for smaller family sizes, a pattern best understood as motivated by economic rather than reproductive success (45), the reproductive advantages of polygyny are likely outweighed by novel opportunities to invest mor...
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