Dr. Daniel Kruger: Which is the Frail Sex?

Dr. Kruger is a researcher at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. He uses the principles of evolutionary biology, especially life history theory, to understand human psychology, behavior, and emergent population patterns. He studies a wide range of topics and is especially interested in applying evolutionary theory to practical social and health issues. He is the President of the Northeastern Evolutionary Psychology Society and his research has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and many other media outlets. In his talk, he will explain how excess male mortality is a result of a trade-off between competitiveness and longevity. Social and environmental conditions that intensify male competition for resources, status, and mates lead to increased male mortality through riskier behavior patterns and the impact of stress on physiological susceptibility. These patterns confirm our expectations derived from evolutionary theory and are consistent with the notion that sex differences shaped by sexual selection interact with aspects of the current environment to result in mortality rates that are considerably higher for men than for women across the lifespan. The fact that sex differences in mortality rates are not genetically determined encourages intervention efforts to reduce excess male mortality. Light refreshments will be served.