Did Premodern Wars Impact Sex Ratios at Birth? The Case of 19th-Century Basque Country
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5363500 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Francisco J Marco-Gracia (0000-0002-8150-9823, Universidad de Zaragoza, corresponding author), Francisco J Beltrán Tapia (0000-0002-7354-5699, Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Grażyna Liczbińska (0000-0002-0922-4612, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 281-306 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Human Nature (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1045-6767 • E-ISSN: 1936-4776 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12110-025-09496-8 |
| PMID | 40632422 |
| OpenAlex | W4412153315 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 52 |
This study examines the impact of pre-moder wars on sex ratios at birth. Specifically, it investigates whether wars involving premodern weaponry and more limited destruction increased stress for pregnant women such that the resulting hormonal changes in their bodies may have led to a decrease in the ratio of live-born boys to girls. To address this question, we analyzed all baptismal records from the Basque Country during the 19th century, encompassing nearly 1.2 million individuals. Our findings confirm that the First Carlist War (1833-1840) exercised the most significant demographic impact on the region. However, all wars resulted in variations in demographic behavior, reducing in sex ratios at birth by around 1%. This effect is even more pronounced when focusing on the main conflict zones, where sieges and major battles took place, leading to an impact of 3.2%. The effect was not only immediately visible in sex ratios at birth but became particularly evident during the first three months after the events. Furthermore, prolonged battles were found to have the most substantial influence, with an average effect during the three months after the battle of almost 7% on sex ratios at birth. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that premodern wars reduced sex ratios at birth
Ancient history · Battle · Geography · Population · Sex ratio · Siege · Sociology · Birth, Development, and Health · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Demography · Global Maternal and Child Health · History
More choice for men? Marriage patterns after World War II in Italy
Body size at birth in babies born during World War II
The strong impact of maternal marital status on birth body size before and during the Second World War in Poznań district, Poland
The Changing Sex Ratios at Birth During the Civil War in Tajikistan
Secondary sex ratio variation during stressful times
Uncommon sex ratio at birth during the Second World War
Assessing gender discrimination during infancy and childhood using twins
Did the grandmother’s exposure to environmental stress during pregnancy affect the birth body size of her grandchildren? The Polish evidence
World War II, Missing Men and Out of Wedlock Childbearing
The Origins of Individualism
Son Preference, Gender Discrimination, and Missing Girls in Rural Spain, 1750-1950
Foetal loss and feminine sex ratios at birth in sub-Saharan Africa
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |