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The two-tiered model resolves key questions on extrinsic mortality and fertility

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2025

Mary K. Shenk Open the ORCID record for Mary K. Shenk [Opens in a new window]
Mary K. Shenk*
Affiliation:
Professor of Anthropology, Demography, and Asian Studies, Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA mks74@psu.edu https://shenk.la.psu.edu/
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

I argue that the two-tier model represents a clear step forward, resolving debates and disentangling complexity in our understanding of human life history strategies. I relate the model to findings from my previous work, as well as to embodied capital and market integration, providing relevant schematics. I then discuss the timing of exposure to mortality cues and the age of the deceased, discussing what the two-tier model does and does not add to these debates.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 48 , 2025 , e121
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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References

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