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Female age: Male preference and reproductive success in primates

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Abstract

A survey of the literature on male sexual preferences according to the age of the female partner supported the hypothesis that adult males should prefer older females of higher parity. Reproductive success was also surveyed by age and parity, and younger females of lower parity were universally found to have lower success than older females of higher parity. This appears to be true for either age or parity independently, as well as in combination. These findings are discussed and applied to human societies, where similar trends would be expected.

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  1. Connie M. Anderson

    Present address: Anthropology Department, Hartwick College, 4 Yager Hall, 13820, Oneonta, New York

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  1. Primate Behaviour Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Connie M. Anderson

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Anderson, C.M. Female age: Male preference and reproductive success in primates. Int J Primatol 7, 305–326 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02736394

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