Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–7Cite as

Polygyny Threshold, The

Synonyms

Female choice polygyny; Resource-defense polygyny

Definition

The polygyny threshold model (PTM) provides an explanation for the occurrence of polygyny in the animal kingdom – the mating/marriage of one male with multiple females. This model is principally applied to species, including humans, in which males provide/defend resources to provision their mates and offspring. The polygyny threshold refers to the minimum level of inequality in male resource holding, such that a given female’s reproductive success is enhanced by becoming the second mate of a resource-rich and already paired male, rather than the sole mate of a resource-poor unpaired male. Once this threshold is surpassed and there is sufficient inequality, polygyny is predicted to occur.

Introduction

Understanding the determinants of mating and marriage systems is vital to a complete understanding of humanity, since they have been demonstrated to have knock on effects at many levels of society. These tenants of...

Keywords

  • Parental Investment
  • Female Choice
  • Female Fitness
  • Female Mate Preference
  • Resource Holding

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

References

  • Balaresque, P., Poulet, N., Cussat-Blanc, S., Gerard, P., Quintana-Murci, L., Heyer, E., & Jobling, M. (2015). Y-chromosome descent clusters and male differential reproductive success: Young lineage expansions dominate Asian pastoral nomadic populations. European Journal of Human Genetics, 23(10), 1413–1422.

    CrossRef  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bean, L., & Mineau, G. (1986). The polygyny–fertility hypothesis: A re-evaluation. Population Studies, 40(1), 67–81.

    CrossRef  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borgerhoff Mulder, M. (1988). The relevance of the polygyny threshold model to humans. In C. G. N. Mascie-Taylor & A. J. Boyce (Eds.), Human mating patterns (pp. 209–230). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borgerhoff Mulder, M. (1989). Marital status and reproductive performance in Kipsigis women: Re-evaluating the polygyny-fertility hypothesis. Population Studies, 43(2), 285–304.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Buss, D. (1989). Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 12(01), 1–14.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Chaudhary, N., Salali, G., Thompson, J., Dyble, M., Page, A., Smith, D., Mace, R., & Migliano, A. (2015). Polygyny without wealth: Popularity in gift games predicts polygyny in BaYaka Pygmies. Royal Society Open Science, 2(5), 150054. doi:10.1098/rsos.150054.

    CrossRef  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Clutton-Brock, T., & Vincent, A. (1991). Sexual selection and the potential reproductive rates of males and females. Nature, 351(6321), 58–60.

    CrossRef  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Geary, D. (2000). Evolution and proximate expression of human paternal investment. Psychological Bulletin, 126(1), 55–77.

    CrossRef  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gyimah, S. (2009). Polygynous marital structure and child survivorship in sub-Saharan Africa: Some empirical evidence from Ghana. Social Science & Medicine, 68(2), 334–342.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hartung, J., Dickemann, M., Melotti, U., Pospisil, L., Scott, E., Smith, J., & Wilder, W. (1982). Polygyny and inheritance of wealth [and comments and replies]. Current Anthropology, 23(1), 1–12.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Josephson, S. (2000). Polygyny, fertility, and human reproductive strategies. Ph.D. dissertation. Department of Anthropology, University of Utah.

    Google Scholar 

  • Josephson, S. (2002). Does polygyny reduce fertility? American Journal of Human Biology, 14(2), 222–232.

    CrossRef  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, H., Hill, K., Lancaster, J., & Hurtado, A. (2000). A theory of human life history evolution: Diet, intelligence, and longevity. Evolutionary Anthropology, 9(4), 156–185.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Lack, D. (1940). Courtship feeding in birds. The Auk, 57(2), 169–178.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Marlowe, F. (2005). Hunter-gatherers and human evolution. Evolutionary Anthropology, 14(2), 54–67.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, A., & Kanazawa, S. (2007). Why beautiful people have more daughters. New York: Perigee Book.

    Google Scholar 

  • Møller, A. P., & Cuervo, J. J. (2000). The evolution of paternity and paternal care in birds. Behavioral Ecology, 11(5), 472–485.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Murdock, G. (1967). Ethnographic atlas. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nettle, D., & Pollet, T. (2008). Natural selection on male wealth in humans. The American Naturalist, 172(5), 658–666.

    CrossRef  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Orians, G. (1969). On the evolution of mating systems in birds and mammals. The American Naturalist, 103(934), 589–603.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Pebley, A., Mbugua, W., & Goldman, N. (1988). Polygyny and fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa. Fertility Determinant Research Notes, 21, 6–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perrone, M., & Zaret, T. (1979). Parental care patterns of fishes. The American Naturalist, 113(3), 351–361.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Pollet, T., & Nettle, D. (2009). Market forces affect patterns of polygyny in Uganda. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(7), 2114–2117.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, K., & Trevathan, W. (2002). Birth, obstetrics and human evolution. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 109(11), 1199–1206.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, D., & Rohde, P. (2013). The human polygyny index and its ecological correlates: Testing sexual selection and life history theory at the cross-national level. Social Science Quarterly, 94(4), 1159–1184.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Sellen, D., & Hruschka, D. (2004). Extracted-food resource-defense polygyny in native Western North American societies at contact. Current Anthropology, 45(5), 707–714.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Strassmann, B. (1981). Sexual selection, paternal care, and concealed ovulation in humans. Ethology and Sociobiology, 2(1), 31–40.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Strassmann, B. (1997). Polygyny as a risk factor for child mortality among the Dogon. Current Anthropology, 38(4), 688–695.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Trivers, R. L. (1972). Parental investment and sexual selection. In B. Cambell (Ed.), Sexual selection and the descent of man (pp. 136–179). Chicago: Aldine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verner, J., & Willson, M. (1966). The influence of habitats on mating systems of North American passerine birds. Ecology, 47(1), 143–147.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University College London, London, UK

    Nikhil Chaudhary

Authors
  1. Nikhil Chaudhary
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nikhil Chaudhary .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland Univ Dept of Psycholgy, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana Weekes-Shackelford

  2. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  3. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this entry

Cite this entry

Chaudhary, N. (2016). Polygyny Threshold, The. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2565-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2565-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social Sciences

search

Navigation