The Evolved Mind - Life History Theory

Fundamental premise

Finite energetic resources, distributed across fundamental tasks (Growth, Mating, Parenting)

Major Trade-Offs

- Mating vs. Parenting Effort
- Current vs. Future Reproduction
- Quality vs. Quantity of Offspring

Lifer History Strategies

- features of body, behavior, physiology
- either LHS can be functional depending on environment

Fast LHS

- Earlier sexual maturity
- Sexual unrestrictedness
- Higher number of offspring
- Present-focused orientation

Slow LHS

- Later sexual maturity
- Sexual restrictedness
- Fewer number of offspring
- Future-focused orientation

Characteristics that affect LHS

- Age (life stage, have to invest in growth to reach sexual maturity/mating)
- Biological sex (if you produce sperm, can allocating all resources into mating)
- Ecology (harsh or resource rich? high or low extrinsic mortality? unpredictable or stable environmental conditions?)

ecology shapes

behaior