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Research Article

Ambient temperature predicts sex ratios and male longevity

Ralph Catalano, Tim Bruckner, and Kirk R. Smith
PNAS February 12, 2008 105 (6) 2244-2247; first published February 4, 2008; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0710711104
Ralph Catalano
School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360
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Tim Bruckner
School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360
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Kirk R. Smith
School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360
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  • For correspondence: krksmith@berkeley.edu
  1. Contributed by Kirk R. Smith, November 15, 2007 (received for review September 15, 2007)

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Abstract

The theory that natural selection has conserved mechanisms by which women subjected to environmental stressors abort frail male fetuses implies that climate change may affect sex ratio at birth and male longevity. Using time series methods, we find that cold ambient temperatures during gestation predict lower secondary sex ratios and longer life span of males in annual birth cohorts composed of Danes, Finns, Norwegians, and Swedes born between 1878 (earliest year with complete life tables) and 1914 (last birth cohort for which male life span can be estimated). We conclude that ambient temperature affects the characteristics of human populations by influencing who survives gestation, a heretofore unrecognized effect of climate on humanity.

  • climate change
  • global warming
  • natural selection
  • Scandinavia
  • time series

Footnotes

  • ↵*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: krksmith{at}berkeley.edu
  • Author contributions: R.C. and K.R.S. designed research; R.C. and T.B. performed research; R.C., T.B., and K.R.S. analyzed data; and R.C., T.B., and K.R.S. wrote the paper.

  • The authors declare no conflict of interest.

  • Received September 15, 2007.
  • © 2008 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA

Freely available online through the PNAS open access option.

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Ambient temperature predicts sex ratios and male longevity
Ralph Catalano, Tim Bruckner, Kirk R. Smith
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Feb 2008, 105 (6) 2244-2247; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0710711104

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Ambient temperature predicts sex ratios and male longevity
Ralph Catalano, Tim Bruckner, Kirk R. Smith
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Feb 2008, 105 (6) 2244-2247; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0710711104
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