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Outputs (32)

Are humans cooperative breeders? (2005)
Book Chapter
Mace, R., & Sear, R. (2005). Are humans cooperative breeders?. In E. Voland, A. Chasiotis, & W. Schiefenhövel (Eds.), Grandmotherhood : the evolutionary significance of the second half of female life (143-159). Rutgers University Press

An evolutionary model of stature, age at first birth and reproductive success in Gambian women (2004)
Journal Article
Allal, N., Sear, R., Prentice, A., & Mace, R. (2004). An evolutionary model of stature, age at first birth and reproductive success in Gambian women. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 271(1538), 465-470. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2003.2623

We have built a model to predict optimal age at first birth for women in a natural fertility population. The only existing fully evolutionary model, based on Ache hunter-gatherers, argues that as women gain weight, their fertility (rate of giving bir... Read More about An evolutionary model of stature, age at first birth and reproductive success in Gambian women.

Height, marriage and reproductive success in Gambian women (2004)
Journal Article
Sear, R., Allal, N., & Mace, R. (2004). Height, marriage and reproductive success in Gambian women. Research in economic anthropology, 23, 203-224. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0190-1281%2804%2923008-6

We examine the relationship between height and reproductive success (RS) in women from a natural fertility population in the Gambia. We observe the predicted trade-off between adult height and age at first birth: women who are tall in adulthood have... Read More about Height, marriage and reproductive success in Gambian women.

Matriliny as daughter-biased investment (2003)
Journal Article
Holden, C., Sear, R., & Mace, R. (2003). Matriliny as daughter-biased investment. Evolution and Human Behavior, 24(2), 99-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1090-5138%2802%2900122-8

From an evolutionary perspective, matriliny presents a puzzle because men in matrilineal societies transmit wealth to their sisters' sons, to whom they are only half as related as to their own sons. It has been argued that such systems would only max... Read More about Matriliny as daughter-biased investment.

The effects of kin on female fertility in rural Gambia (2003)
Journal Article
Sear, R., Mace, R., & McGregor, I. (2003). The effects of kin on female fertility in rural Gambia. Evolution and Human Behavior, 24(1), 25-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1090-5138%2802%2900105-8

Human females reproduce relatively rapidly throughout their reproductive years compared to the other great apes. It has been suggested that women are able to sustain this rapid pace by co-opting family members to help raise their children. We tested... Read More about The effects of kin on female fertility in rural Gambia.

A life-history approach to fertility rates in rural Gambia: evidence for trade-offs or phenotypic correlations? (2003)
Book Chapter
Sear, R., Mace, R., & McGregor, I. (2003). A life-history approach to fertility rates in rural Gambia: evidence for trade-offs or phenotypic correlations?. In J. Rodgers, & H. Kohler (Eds.), The biodemography of human reproduction and fertility (135-160). Kluwer

Life history theory predicts that a trade-off will occur between investment in current and future reproduction. We test this hypothesis in a rural Gambian population by determining whether women who have invested heavily in reproduction in the past h... Read More about A life-history approach to fertility rates in rural Gambia: evidence for trade-offs or phenotypic correlations?.

The effects of kin on child mortality in rural Gambia (2002)
Journal Article
Sear, R., Steele, F., McGregor, I., & Mace, R. (2002). The effects of kin on child mortality in rural Gambia. Demography, 39(1), 43-63. https://doi.org/10.1353/dem.2002.0010

We analyzed data that were collected continuously between 1950 and 1974 from a rural area of the Gambia to determine the effects of kin on child mortality. Multilevel event-history models were used to demonstrate that having a living mother, maternal... Read More about The effects of kin on child mortality in rural Gambia.

The fitness of twin mothers: evidence from rural Gambia (2001)
Journal Article
Sear, R., Shanley, D., McGregor, I., & Mace, R. (2001). The fitness of twin mothers: evidence from rural Gambia. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 14(3), 433-443. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1420-9101.2001.00287.x

We used a longitudinal database from a natural fertility population in rural Gambia to compare the overall fertility of mothers who had given birth to twins at some point in their reproductive history and mothers who had only ever given birth to sing... Read More about The fitness of twin mothers: evidence from rural Gambia.

Maternal grandmothers improve the nutritional status and survival of children in rural Gambia (2000)
Journal Article
Sear, R., Mace, R., & McGregor, I. (2000). Maternal grandmothers improve the nutritional status and survival of children in rural Gambia. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 267(1453), 1641-1647. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2000.1190

Hypotheses for the evolution of human female life–history characteristics have often focused on the social nature of human societies, which allows women to share the burden of childcare and provisioning amongst other members of their kin group. We te... Read More about Maternal grandmothers improve the nutritional status and survival of children in rural Gambia.

The birth interval and the sex of children in a traditional African population: an evolutionary analysis (1997)
Journal Article
Mace, R., & Sear, R. (1997). The birth interval and the sex of children in a traditional African population: an evolutionary analysis. Journal of Biosocial Science, 29(4), 499-507. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0021932097004999

Birth interval is a major determinant of rates of fertility, and is also a measure of parental investment in a child. In this paper the length of the birth interval in a traditional African population is analysed by sex of children. Birth intervals a... Read More about The birth interval and the sex of children in a traditional African population: an evolutionary analysis.

Maternal mortality in a Kenyan pastoralist population (1996)
Journal Article
Mace, R., & Sear, R. (1996). Maternal mortality in a Kenyan pastoralist population. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 54(2), 137-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-7292%2896%2902691-4

Objective: To measure maternal mortality among the Gabbra, a group of nomadic pastoralists living in a remote area of Kenya. Method: As part of a survey of 851 households, information on the number of sisters of respondents who died of pregnancy-rela... Read More about Maternal mortality in a Kenyan pastoralist population.