Abstract

PIP: This study of wealth and reproductive success is based on interviews obtained from 848 rural nomadic Gabbra families from northern Kenya. The Gabbra are nomadic pastoralists who herd camels, goats, and sometimes sheep. Household is defined as a unit that owns a camel herd. Findings indicate that size of the camel herd (wealth) is positively related to the reproductive success of both men and women and is independent of age. The effect is greatest for men. Poverty effects vary between men and women. Very poor men are at a greater disadvantage than very poor women. Poor men and women tend to marry at a later age. It is posited that the beneficial effects of wealth on reproductive success may be underestimated. Both richer and poorer families showed a slightly male-biased sex ratio. There was no evidence that poorer Gabbra households might favor daughters, as suggested in the literature on sex-biased parental investment. There was no evidence that the Gabbra practiced infanticide. The average dowry size was 16.5 sheep units, where one camel is valued at about 10 sheep or goats. The traditional brideprice is 3 camels. Each son takes about 10 camels for his marriage, when brideprice is accounted for. Heads of household reported that their initial herd size was about 6.75 camels. If there is bias in parental investment, it probably occurs in the number of animals passed on to a child at marriage. Boys are disadvantaged by elder brothers, while girls are not disadvantaged by elder sisters. Lower birth order sons are prone to migrate into another ethnic group. It is likely that fathers maximize their wealth by making certain that a small number are well provided for rather than equally dividing investments. The number of elder sisters has a small effect on dowry size. Competition for parental investment appears to occur only among siblings of the same sex, particularly brothers.