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Twinning and the r/K Reproductive Strategy: A Critique of Rushton's Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

G. Allen ,
A.W. Eriksson ,
J. Fellman ,
P. Parisi  and
S.G. Vandenberg
G. Allen*
Affiliation:
U.S. Public Health Service (Ret.), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
A.W. Eriksson
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Genetics, Free University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
J. Fellman
Affiliation:
Folkhalsan Institute of Genetics, Helsinki, Finland
P. Parisi
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy
S.G. Vandenberg
Affiliation:
Institute of Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA
*
9326 W. Parkhill Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814-3967, USA

Abstract

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The theory of r selection, favoring population growth, as opposed to K selection, favoring more efficient utilization of resources, has in recent years been applied by Rushton to contrast human ethnic groups in terms of their r/K reproductive strategies, suggesting the existence of a continuum from r groups, producing many offspring but providing little parental care, to K groups, producing few offspring but providing much parental care. Rushton's theory, which is largely based on ethnic differences in twinning rates, is here critically examined. It is pointed out that twinning rate differences are not necessarily genetic in origin since various environmental factors clearly play a role, and also that twinning, as a mode of reproduction, is not necessarily an r strategy, considering the high prenatal and perinatal selection to which it has been, and still is, associated. Moreover, Rushton misinterprets a number of relevant aspects related to the biology of twinning. The claim that ethnic differences in twinning rates provide evidence for an r/K typology in human populations with respect to reproductive strategies does not appear to be warranted.

Keywords

Reproductive strategySelectionLitter sizeTwinningEthnic differences
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , January 1992 , pp. 73 - 83
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1992

References

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