Round-up: Do different cultures agree on who's attractive?

The most interesting articles that came to our attention this week

The Inadvertent 1-Child Policy in Rich Countries. Daniel Hess responds to critiques of his argument that high urban density lowers fertility. He notes that large families are effectively banned in many urban centres since almost all homes have fewer than three bedrooms. He also notes that ultra-low fertility in Seoul (TFR = 0.55) cannot be explained by the cost of housing, since rents there are 75% cheaper than in New York.

Polygenic Selection and Environmental Influence on Adult Body Height. Davide Piffer and Emil Kirkegaard examine genetic and environmental predictors of average height across countries. Comparing average polygenic scores and the human development index, they find that both independently predict average height. They also find preliminary evidence for natural selection favouring taller height in some populations.

Relationships between average polygenic scores (based on whole genome sequencing and array dataset) and average height.