Karelia-project's newest paper by Robert Lynch, Virpi Lummaa, Kathrik Panchanathan, Kevin Middleton, Anna Rotkirch, Mirkka Danielsbacka, David O'Brien and John Loehr is published in Nature Human Behaviour 2019:

Integration involves a trade-off between fertility and status for World War II evacuees

Abstract

Understanding how refugees integrate into host societies has broad implications for researchers interested in intergroup conflict and for governments concerned with promoting social cohesion. Using detailed records tracking the movements and life histories of Finnish evacuees during World War II, we find that evacuees who intermarry are more likely to be educated, work in professional occupations, marry someone higher in social status and remain in the host community. Evacuees who intermarry before the war have fewer children, whereas those who marry into their host community after the war have more children. These results indicate that life-history and assimilation outcomes depend on key differences between pre-war environments—when migrants are living in their own communities—and post-war environments—when migrants are living in the host community. Overall, this suggests that integration involves a trade-off between reproduction and status such that evacuees who integrate gain social status, whereas those who maintain stronger bonds with their natal communities have higher fertility. We discuss these results within the framework of social capital, intergroup conflict and life-history theory and suggest how they can inform our understanding of evolutionary adaptations that affect tribalism.

Other News

Susanna Ukonaho defended her PhD thesis ”Mandates and incentives: implementing Finlands first vaccination campaign against smallpox” at the University of Turku in June 2024.

Lähes 2,5 miljoonan euron rahoituksella toteutettava tutkimus pureutuu vaikutuksiin, joita yhteiskunnan muuttuminen on aiheuttanut sukulaisverkostoille.

Virpi Lummaa

Professor of Evolutionary Biology Virpi Lummaa from the University of Turku in Finland has received a major funding from the European Research Council ERC.

Virpi Lummaa

Kaya Burgess, Science Reporter
Wednesday May 31 2023, 7:40am BST, The Times

The Times 31.5.2023 Grannies are great at keeping children healthy

Simon Chapman, Mirkka Danielsbacka, Antti O. Tanskanen, Mirkka Lahdenperä, Jenni Pettay and Virpi Lummaa published a paper in Behavioural Ecology