Definition
The catalyst for evolution is the propagation of one’s genes. In modern times, women are choosing to have less or no offspring, which is seemingly an evolutionary paradox.
Introduction
Females are the choosier sex in almost every species. In modern times, the argument could be made that as a result of more women obtaining college degrees and high-paying jobs, less high mate value males exist (Buss 2016). As a result, human females are having to choose whether to copulate with lower mate value men or whether to take themselves out of the mating game entirely. With mortality rates at an all-time low and economic stress at high, parents may also be choosing to invest more resources in fewer offspring. Additionally, with the advent of modern birth control, women can have sex without the consequence of pregnancy. While the drive for sex still exists, the consequences are more variable, giving women a...
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DeSantis, A. (2020). Evolutionary Paradox: Women Choosing Not to Have Children. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2330-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2330-1
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