ABSTRACT
For many species, female rank is long-lived and can be translated into longstanding benefits for descendants of both sexes. Females should be, if anything, more competitive than males, not less, although the manner in which females compete may be less direct, less boisterous, and hence more difficult to measure. Though the overall lines of the evolutionist vision are beyond serious dispute, its emphasis on male competition and aggression presents one potential drawback. More than any other scientist, Sarah Hrdy has shed light on infanticide, a fascinating phenomenon that illustrates to what a degree males and females may follow distinct and even opposed strategies. This interpretation of human evolution leads to a question that is more difficult than it seems: Is man monogamous or polygamous? It appears that in around 80 percent of human societies, men have multiple wives. Monogamous societies are common but in the minority.
