ASSORTATIVE MATING - SEX-DIFFERENCES IN MATE SELECTION FOR MARRIED AND UNMARRIED COUPLES

We studied assortative mating for age, nationality, educational level, and occupational level in married and unmarried parents to test evolu tionary models explaining mate selection among humans. We used the mar riage and birth registers of the Venezuelan population to compare rece ntly married, fertile married, and fertile unmarried couples. The resu lts show significant assortative mating for all variables, but the res ults are strongest for age and education. These data suggest that (1) selection criteria based on age vary along the life cycle and differ b etween married and unmarried couples; (2) male's socioeconomic status is more related to the availability of younger females among unmarried couples compared with married couples, except for young couples; and (3) female selection for better (more educated and/or better employed) mates is stronger among married couples, whereas male selection for y ounger females or those showing actual reproductive potential is stron ger among unmarried couples.