Sexual dimorphism in stature and women's work: A phylogenetic cross-cultural analysis

The following cultural variables were tested for their association with sex ual dimorphism: sexual division of labor, type of subsistence (hunting and agriculture), and polygyny. The transmission of these traits among populati ons was investigated. All the traits were found to be associated with phylo geny, indicating that they are inherited from mother to daughter population s. A cross-cultural comparative method was used which controls for the stat istical effects of similarity due to common ancestry (Galton's problem). Cr oss-cultural variation in sexual dimorphism in stature is negatively associ ated with women's contribution to subsistence. Women are taller, relative t o men, in societies where women contribute more to food production. This ma y be because female nutritional status is better in these societies. No rel ationship was found between sexual dimorphism and other aspects of subsiste nce or polygyny. These results are discussed in relation to other studies o f sexual dimorphism in modern and archaeological populations, and in relati on to cross-cultural variation in sex-biased parental investment. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.