Researchers looked to previous research on women to answer why polygamous men live longer and chalk it up to a variation of the “grandmother effect.”
New research suggests having multiple wives may be the secret to male longevity, with polygamous men living significantly longer than their monogamous peers.
A University of Sheffield study presented at the International Society for Behavioral Ecology meeting found men over 60 from 140 polygamous nations lived 12% longer than those from 49 monogamous countries. Researchers attribute this “father effect” to continued reproduction – polygamous men often father children into advanced age, unlike monogamous men who typically stop earlier. “The more wives they have, the more children they father, giving them biological incentive to live longer,” researchers explained, contrasting it with women’s longevity being tied to grandmothering.
The findings expand on the known “grandmother effect” where postmenopausal women live longer to care for grandchildren. For men, sustained reproduction appears key – with octogenarian fathers in polygamous societies benefiting from ongoing biological purpose. The study offers new insights into evolutionary drivers of human lifespan disparities across cultures.
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