Female infanticide and human sex ratio evolution.
The possible effect on the evolution of the human sex ratio of a preference for male children is examined in a genetic model. It is shown that the killing of infant daughters can lead to either a female- or a male-biased sex ratio, the outcome depending on the decision rule used to determine the fate of a child. This reconciles long-standing contradictory results.
Nordborg
M
M
Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, CA 94305-5020.
D005075:Biological Evolution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007237:Infanticide; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008957:Models, Genetic; D012744:Sex Ratio