] "I think this study is very important," says Mark Pagel,
] an evolutionary biologist at the University of Reading,
] UK. "What they are trying to show is that human mating
] patterns, wealth inheritance and dominance systems
] respond to ecological variation in the same way that we
] would expect animal populations to behave."
]
]
] Bride wealth
]
] Holden believes reason the acquisition of cattle led to a
] switch to male-dominated societies is most probably
] linked to the system of "bridewealth". This tradition, in
] which a bridegroom gives cattle to a bride's family, is
] particular to the Bantu speaking regions of
] sub-equatorial Africa.
]
] "If a man's got lots of cattle he can have lots of wives.
] So if you have cattle it makes sense to give it to sons
] rather than the daughters," she says. The fundamental
] reason for this is that wealthy, and therefore
] attractive, sons are likely to have more children than
] daughters, because while women must bear each child a man
] need only impregnate a woman.

Feminist Cows Moo: Eat more Chiken.