Thread: Age of first pregnancy in prehistory and male mate choice

In this thread Age of conception in pre-history? - boards.ie an argument is made that in prehistoric times women would concieve for the first time typically at about 17 and that because of this men have evolved preferences for girls under this age.

Is the reasoning right?

No, not really..

Men don't prefer a certain age. Men prefer usually women who have matured, and at 16, women are. Men also don't like psychological problems, extreme high standards, or weird previous experiences that need to be lived up to. Which makes 16-17-18 the most viable choice.

Problem with this age though, is that there is no serious commitment, and anything can cause a change of heart.

You stirred a sensitive topic though.

Men should like women close to their own age, because this makes the seriousness of the relationship for both about the same.

Men prefer usually women who have matured,

And it depends on the society you live in what 'maturity' means. In most hunter-gatherer societies, the most important thing is having children to help support the family in gathering or producing food. Seeing as female fertility is so important, it's not surprising that in some groups a woman wasn't eligible for marriage until she'd already had a child - and survived the ordeal. A pretty good indicator that she's a) fertile, b) strong enough to live through the rigours of pregnancy and childbirth. Of course, what often happened was that young people who wanted to be married would arrange things so that the first child was from them anyway, but they couldn't marry until a child was born and the woman was healthy.

And for women? The most important thing in a man is his ability to gather or produce food for a family. So men who were poor hunters were not regarded highly as potential partners for women - and they still aren't in groups that continue to live this life.

That's the whole point adelady. There are, as always. brutish ignorant zombies out there who believe themselves to be men. They can bend iron bars with their teeth. Not a lot of employment opportunities for personal toothful iron bar benders.

No bow ties for most of this group. Fortunately they seek out their own kind to grunt with and show their broken teeth. You can recognise them because they will grab at your breast as you walk passed. Or worse. No sweet laughs from them, Only Guffaws.

Still, all is not lost. Somebody has to lift car bodies off squashed people and fly over tall buildings.

Just do not expect the Garbage Bin to be taken out regulary and on time. Or the washing to be taken in. And get used to a smack in the mouth if Bangers and Mash dosen't appear regularly.

How do I know this? How do I know that Black and Brown curly haired retrievers will sometimes take your arm off......westwind.

I believe Vikings mated as soon as they could, all down to 13 years old. Though any younger would probably endanger the woman.

Its important to bear in mind that there is nothing naturally wrong mating at such a young age. Todays morals and laws are heavily influenced by religion - and are therefore unnatural.

in prehistoric times women would concieve for the first time typically at about 17 and that because of this men have evolved preferences for girls under this age.

There's more to success in many environments than simply sex and reproduction. A family has to be able to provide for all the children that will be born. That means first and foremost that a frequently pregnant and lactating mother must get adequate nutrition and stay healthy. A woman who becomes pregnant and produces children she can't feed or protect is worse than useless - she becomes a drain on family resources rather than a contributor.

So the first requirement in a female partner is that she must demonstrate whatever food collecting and other skills are required in the particular circumstances. For many groups, this means that a woman must have experience and skill in contributing to her own family's food, shelter, food containers and clothing/cover for cold periods.

In some areas this is easier than others. Tough environments may make a widow who's already borne a few children and managed the family's requirements a better bargain for a husband than a younger woman with no demonstrated strength or stamina or expertise. A number of fur or leather garments or shelters collected and processed already to hand might be even more attractive in cold climates making her a 'good catch'.

Due mostly to poor nutritious puberty was probably four to five years older to than today. Church records show average women's first menstration at 17 during the middle ages, today it's 12 in the US. Studies also show it's linked to body fat.

Lynx

The level of nutrition among peoples living before agriculture is largely unknown. There is a school of thought that claims they were better nourished than anyone up until the present, due to a high protein diet from hunting. However, we simply do not know for sure.

Modern males tend to have sexual preferences that run almost exactly parallel with levels of fertility in women. Women achieve maximum fertility on average at around 20 years of age. If you go by beauty contests, this is close to the average age of contestants. However, women are pretty damn fertile from about 15 to 35, and male sexual preference makes all those women pretty attractive.

A few hundred years ago, girls went through puberty several years later than they do today, probably due to less fat in the diet. Today, girls can achieve the womanly figure quite young, and I have seen girls as young as 12 who look very good in a bikini.