[JulianMorrison]

You'd be surprised. Longer breastfeeding suppresses ovulation and menstruation, so fertility is relatively rare. Childbirth works better squatting. Humans evolved to be hunter gatherers, most of our history is pre-settled-agriculture, we do fit that lifestyle better.

And patriarchy was never contingent on those things anyhow. It's just a cultural choice that got stuck because it was woven into the form of citified civilization.

[Natsu]

There are patriarchal hierarchies among crustaceans, it seems less like a 'choice' and more like the result of a random, survivorship-biased process.

[ihm]

Similarly, crustaceans have hard shells, which explains why we live in buildings made out of hard materials.

[dasil003]

I don’t actually believe one way or the other but I can’t help but notice that is a convenient viewpoint for the patriarchy.

[projektir]

> Longer breastfeeding suppresses ovulation and menstruation, so fertility is relatively rare.

> Childbirth works better squatting.

I would like to see citations indicating that these statements are true to a significant degree that modern improvements are of little value.

I can't even find data on maternal mortality before 1800.