ANTH 145 Reading Response 3 Prompt-
Mulder, M. B. (1998). The demographic transition: are we any closer to an evolutionary explanation?.Trends in ecology & evolution, 13(7), 266-270.
1.
What is the evolutionary puzzle Monique Borgerhoff Mulder (MBM) is trying to solve?
The evolutionary puzzle the author explores is the question of why humans have experienced a radical decline in reproduction despite the abundance of resources that would theoretically be able to support many offspring.
2.
Does wealth increase or decrease fertility? Before the demographic transition? After the
demographic transition?
Before the demographic transition, wealth increased fertility arguably to protect a family’s material property. However, after the demographic transition, wealth seemed to decrease fertility.
3.
Why does MBM say that lower fertility is likely NOT due to optimization of reproductive effort (as in an optimal clutch problem)?
There is not substantial evidence that proves the fitness benefits of low fertility in high-income households especially in comparison to low-income groups, which shows that optimization of fitness/reproductive effort may not be the driver of low fertility rates.
4.
What cultural factors allow the demographic transition to spread so rapidly in time and space?
Cultural factors that may aid the spread of the transition is the prevalence of modern technology
and the rapid nature of modern communication which allows ideas and trends to be easily exchanged and become widespread.
5.
If below-replacement fertility is a product of (mal)adaptive mismatch, what novel socio-
ecological factors would change the selective context relative to our Paleolithic, hunter-
gatherer evolutionary history?
Some socio-ecological factors that changed the selective context include the decrease of infant mortality due to medical advancements, access to education and contraception that have allowed individuals to have greater control over family planning, and shifts in cultural values that
lead people to delay reproduction or prioritize other aspects of life. 6.
If not reproductive success, what motivations would drive people to have so few children?
One such motivation could be a darwinian mechanism of inheritance, in which successful people are seen with fewer children, so having less children is adapted by others because it is correlated with success.
7.
If the demographic transition is driven by quality-quantity tradeoffs, what are the costs and benefits, for individuals, of having small families?
