Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Table of Contents - 2010 - Volume 33, Issue 01  

Cambridge Journals Online - CUP Full-Text Page
Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2010), 33:29-30 Cambridge University Press
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010
doi:10.1017/S0140525X09991671

Open Peer Commentary

Fitness effects of grandparental investments in contemporary low-risk societies

Ralf Kaptijna1 and Fleur Thomesea1

a1 Faculty of Social Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. rwj.kaptijn@fsw.vu.nl gcf.thomese@fsw.vu.nl
Article author query
kaptijn r [PubMed]  [Google Scholar]
thomese f [PubMed]  [Google Scholar]

Abstract

Coall & Hertwig (C&H) suggest that, because grandparental investments do not impact on child mortality in low-risk societies, fitness effects are not plausible any more. We found that grandparental investments could very well alleviate contemporary constraints on fertility. Cultural factors may influence both the occurrence and impact of grandparental investments.

Grandparental investment: Past, present, and future David A. Coall and Ralph Hertwig School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia 6160, Australia. david.coall@uwa.edu.au http://www.uwa.edu.au/people/david.coall; Department of Psychology, University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland. ralph.hertwig@unibas.ch http://www.psycho.unibas.ch/hertwig