Varas Enríquez, Pablo JoséORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0686-8284 and Mulder, Monique BorgerhoffORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1117-5984 (2025) Hierarchical relationship? Only development will tell. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Vol.45 (n°107).

Abstract

The number and timing of births are strongly associated with the stability of available resources and the risk of extrinsic mortality. The authors suggest a verbal model to disentangle the relationship between these two variables. However, we challenge their assumption of a hierarchical relationship between these two predictors and propose that formal modelling of their interaction, within a developmental perspective, could further our understanding of how the reproductive strategies of women respond to environmental uncertainty.