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Frail Males on the American Frontier: The Role of Environmental Harshness on Sex Ratios at Birth across a Period of Rapid Industrialization

Author

Listed:
  • Ryan Schacht

    (Department of Anthropology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA)

  • Mike Hollingshaus

    (Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84111, USA)

  • Heidi Hanson

    (Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA)

  • Shane J. Macfarlan

    (Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
    Global Change and Sustainability Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA)

  • Douglas Tharp

    (Department of Geography, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA)

  • Tim Bruckner

    (Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA)

  • Ken R. Smith

    (Population Science, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
    Department of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA)

Abstract

While sex ratios at birth (SRB) have been shown to vary within and across populations, after over a century of research, explanations have remained elusive. A variety of ecological, demographic, economic, and social variables have been evaluated, yet their association with SRB has been equivocal. Here, in an attempt to shed light on this unresolved topic within the literature, we approach the question of what drives variation in SRB using detailed longitudinal data spanning the frontier-era to the early 20th century in a population from the US state of Utah. Using several measures of environmental harshness, we find that fewer boys are born during challenging times. However, these results hold only for the frontier-era and not into a period of rapid economic and infrastructure development. We argue that the mixed state of the literature may result from the impact and frequency of exogenous stressors being dampened due to industrialization.

Suggested Citation

  • Ryan Schacht & Mike Hollingshaus & Heidi Hanson & Shane J. Macfarlan & Douglas Tharp & Tim Bruckner & Ken R. Smith, 2021. "Frail Males on the American Frontier: The Role of Environmental Harshness on Sex Ratios at Birth across a Period of Rapid Industrialization," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-11, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:10:y:2021:i:9:p:319-:d:620356
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Francesco Scalone & Rosella Rettaroli, 2015. "Exploring the Variations of the Sex Ratio at Birth from an Historical Perspective," Statistica, Department of Statistics, University of Bologna, vol. 75(2), pages 213-226.
    2. Zhongwei Zhao & Yuan Zhu & Anna Reimondos, 2013. "Could changes in reported sex ratios at birth during China's 1958-1961 famine support the adaptive sex ratio adjustment hypothesis?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 29(33), pages 885-906.
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    Cited by:

    1. Paula Sheppard & Kristin Snopkowski, 2021. "Behavioral Ecology of the Family: Harnessing Theory to Better Understand Variation in Human Families," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-11, July.

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