HERITABLE AND ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES AFFECT REPRODUCTION-RELATED BEHAVIORS, BUT NOT ULTIMATE REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS

The present study is an attempt to integrate a behavior-genetic approa ch and methodology with the goals of sociobiology, using a life histor y analysis. The study seeks to determine (a) whether differences in re production-related behaviors show evidence of heritability; and (b) wh at factors contribute to observed variance in reproduction-related act ivities. In accordance with sociobiological theory, the reproduction-r elated behaviors of males were found to be more variably influenced by both heritable and environmental factors than those of females. The r esults also suggest, however, that while some reproduction-related beh aviors are associated in a proximate sense with heritable personality and health-related factors, this association does not ultimately trans late into predictable differences in total number of children.