What is the most common birth date in the U.S.? According to data from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, it’s Sept. 9. In fact, September as a whole is a very busy month in U.S. delivery rooms. And, for those of you doing the math, that makes December a very busy month for, uh, other reasons.
Is there something in particular that makes December special, though? Could that possibly be our so-called “mating season,” even though we don’t, say, roar, pump out citrus scents or bash antlers to cue desire like other species do?
For the most part, humans and other large primates likely aren’t driven to reproduce because of specific seasonal cues, says Melissa Emery Thompson, an anthropologist at the University of New Mexico. “[But] we are very strange creatures,” she adds.
But humans also approach pregnancy and child rearing differently than do other large primates. And ...
