The Scientific Fundamentalist

A Look at the Hard Truths About Human Nature

Satoshi Kanazawa is an evolutionary psychologist at LSE and the coauthor (with the late Alan S. Miller) of Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters. See full bio

February 24, 2008, Parenting

Comments on "The returning soldier effect I: Why are more boys born during and after wars?"

The returning soldier effect I: Why are more boys born during and after wars?

By Satoshi Kanazawa on February 24, 2008 in The Scientific Fundamentalist

Scientists have known for a long time that more boys than usual are born during and after major wars. The phenomenon was first noticed in 1954 with regard to white children born during World War II in the United States. It has since been replicated for most of the belligerent nations in both World Wars. The phenomenon has been dubbed the “returning soldier effect.” There is no doubt that the phenomenon is real, but nobody has been able to explain it. Why are soldiers who return from wars more likely to father sons than other men? Read More

Taller soldiers and class

Submitted by Dave on February 24, 2008 - 6:07pm.

I suspect this could be class linked. Shorter soldiers were more likely to be lower class and find themselves in the lower ranks in more hazardous positions. Taller people were generally from a higher social class and hence more likely to be officers in safer positions. (We are talking about WW1 here). A small deviation such as this would explain these figures. If I had the data I'd look at returning soldiers by rank. My guess would be that as you move down through the ranks the proportions of people living and dying changes, with a greater percentage dying in the lower ranks. And if you looked at the height of soldiers in any one rank, I'm hypothesising that the differences in height for the overall group are not present in any one rank. So, fewer shorter soldiers return, because proportionately more of them are killed because they are in the lower ranks. Of course, maybe the study has already looked at ranks, in which case I haven't a clue!

I don't think this works.

Submitted by Anonymous on February 27, 2008 - 4:56am.

I don't think this works. There are far, far more enlisted troops than officers. I would say at least 5 to 1.

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But why are taller people

Submitted by Avocado on April 21, 2008 - 11:01am.

But why are taller people more likely to have sons??

this isnt politically

Submitted by Artfldgr on September 24, 2008 - 12:21pm.

this isnt politically correct, but its probably the reason.. larger men have larger, ahem, penises...

and male and female sperm do not move the same...male sperm goes faster for shorter distance, and female sperm goes slower for longer distance.

so the longer the penis, the more likely a male will be born, as the distance is shorter, and the sprinters can win... while those who are smaller will have male sperm dfil whiel female sperm covers the distance.

this isn't politically correct but.....

Submitted by miki on December 2, 2008 - 9:31am.

I don't think this is quite correct....I mean, it could be, but I think that tallness is a dominant male trait (as in an "alpha" trait) and that men who are dominant often end up having sex during the most fertile time of a woman's cycle (I think they call this the "sexy sons" theory) when boys are more likely to be conceived (because the egg is there waiting for the "fast" sperm). I just have some personal experience with...ahem...what Artfldgr says and I have two daughters.

Women/Men/Marriage/Sex/JoinMilitary/GotoWar

Submitted by James on August 14, 2008 - 7:20pm.

I've always wondered what psychologists and other behavioral scientists would say as to why it seems that a man going off to war will find that this is one of the most likely times that he may end up getting married and seeing his fellow Soldiers getting married. It's also one of the most likely times that he may end up having sex with women or more likely to have willing women. I think there is a psychological explanation for why women are more attracted to men going off to war or going off to basic training than those same men would normally be attractive. Hope I'm explaining this well.