The older man gets the girl
August 31st, 2007 by Kishore
From Anna Nicole Smith and J. Howard Marshall to Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren, older men and younger women have been getting together for years. According to a new paper in Biology Letters this week, the age difference gives the couples a reproductive boost.
The authors of the paper, themselves married, looked at a massive database of Swedish couples. In the couples where the age difference was about 5 years, they produced about 5% more children than same age couples. In addition, they analyzed divorces. Divorced men on average chose a younger woman. The paper claims a “fitness basis” in people’s choice of partner, lending to a natural selection effect over time.
Takeaway
Not much here, there isn’t enough data to make a connection over a long period of time. But hey, if you’re dating a younger woman or an older man…more power to you. Call me an evolutionary loser since my girlfriend is older.
More Info
Swedish Paper
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