Hierarchical relationship? Only development will tell

Abstract

The number and timing of births are strongly associated with the stability of available resources and the risk of extrinsic mortality. The authors suggest a verbal model to disentangle the relationship between these two variables. However, we challenge their assumption of a hierarchical relationship between these two predictors and propose that formal modelling of their interaction, within a developmental perspective, could further our understanding of how the reproductive strategies of women respond to environmental uncertainty.

Reference

Pablo José Varas Enríquez, and Monique Borgerhoff Mulder, “Hierarchical relationship? Only development will tell”, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, vol. 11, n. 48:e107, November 2025.