Younger noble sons could only marry rare heiresses, intensifying mate competition

Evidence

In fact, the only real option for younger sons of noble families was to marry an heiress—a woman who stood to inherit her family’s estate. The violent nature of the day did occasionally result in the total loss of male heirs to a family, in which case a daughter could inherit the wealth. Such a woman, if she chose, could afford to marry a man without an estate of his own, providing him with a chance to found a new dynasty. But noble heiresses were just about as rare as estrous female elephants, and competition for their favors intense. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 173

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Eldest sons gained marriage options because they stood to inherit family wealth — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 171; Excess rival males over scarce fertile females drove knightly combat in medieval Europe — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 169

Related

• Eldest sons gained marriage options because they stood to inherit family wealth (similarity 0.88)
• Excess rival males over scarce fertile females drove knightly combat in medieval Europe (similarity 0.85)
• Monopolized reproduction drives males of many species to cheat (similarity 0.80)
• Medieval lords sequestered women to monopolize reproduction (similarity 0.80)
• Mating competition kills off most males before they ever reproduce. (similarity 0.80)
• Male combat for mating access frequently causes serious wounds and sometimes death (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Excess rival males over scarce fertile females drove knightly combat in medieval Europe #corroborates (0.80) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 169