>> all things being equal, the more attractive you are to women the more mating opportunities and offspring you will have <<
Agreed. But then let’s go to the next stage:
Specifically, which children are most likely to survive and then go on to mate successfully?
I submit that the answer isn’t so simple. The monogamous geek’s children, who may benefit from better health and education, eventually may go on to out-survive and out-breed the more numerous children of the promiscuous or polygamous brute.
>> More kids have a better chance of surviving and procreating than fewer kids. <<
Maybe yes, maybe no. I don’t think the answer is intuitively obvious for every culture and for every level of civilization. The answer may be different for “primitive” and “advanced” societies. Can’t be settled purely by logic and theory. In other words, it’s probably the sort of question that needs to be investigated empirically.
“Specifically, which children are most likely to survive and then go on to mate successfully? I submit that the answer isn’t so simple. The monogamous geek’s children, who may benefit from better health and education, eventually may go on to out-survive and out-breed the more numerous children of the promiscuous or polygamous brute.”
My original answer refered to mormons in the 19th century so lets go back to that context. Having multiple wives and a big household is expensive so it is likely that a mormon who can afford multiple wives (and can get them to marry him) is successful. He was probably considered rich or at least well off. His children are likely to be better fed, educated and have better living conditions than a dirt poor mormon. Members of his houshold probably also have access to better medical care since they can afford a doctor. Better medical care means fewer wives die in childbirth and more children live to procreate.
“In other words, it’s probably the sort of question that needs to be investigated empirically.”
I agree. They kept pretty good records back then so it should be no problem to compare the number of born and surviving children between polygamous and monogomous households.