by Jon Dough

Created on: May 11, 2008

The topic of picking a favored sex for inheritance is a touchy one that will obviously differ from situation to situation, but perhaps I can lend a perspective that doesn't name a superior sex. Obviously if a parent rears a coke-addict and an investment banker, the inheritance decision could easily be made without taking gender into consideration. Instead, I believe this topic is addressing which gender should be entrusted with increased wealth if two children of opposite sexes are equally responsible. Because I have a degree in biology I will discuss the evolutionary implications of resource allocation to offspring, and the implications of choosing a sex for inheritance.

First, the reason for leaving an inheritance to one's offspring, from an evolutionary standpoint, is to increase the child's chance of survival and reproduction - collectively known in biology as "fitness." Increasing a child's wealth will in many cases improve the child's chances of staying healthy, as well as finding a genetically healthy mate. When a parent's offspring finds a mate, the offspring is essentially passing on his or her parents genes, and therefore increasing their parents' fitness (the reproduction part of it). So the important point here is that inheritance can be allocated to help get a parents genes into some grandkids. It's no secret that parenting is narcissism at its finest, but the game of evolution is all about who can most effectively pass on their own genes by way of healthy and attractive offspring production.

Second, the current societal structure should be taken into account. Traditional gender roles assign men as providers, and women as caregivers. Obviously these are no longer completely black and white, but it's still safe to assume that women are more likely to have an increased attraction to a man who is wealthy than a man would have for a wealthy woman. Men are still usually expected to pay on a first date as a sign of wealth, and women are often still expected to be the gentler sex. Again, this is no longer the case 100% of the time, but it can be assumed for a majority of cases.

Given the two above-mentioned aspects, and two oppositely-sexed offspring of equal economic prowess, it would offer a greater benefit to the parent to award a healthier inheritance to a son. The son would in turn be a stronger provider, and therefore his ability to pass on his parents' genes to grandchildren would be increased. Money well spent.

Learn more about this author, Jon Dough.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.