Women survive crises better than men

(Duke University) Women tend to live longer than men almost everywhere worldwide. Now, three centuries of data show that women don't just outlive men in normal times: They're more likely to survive even in the worst of circumstances, such as famines and epidemics. Most of the life expectancy gender gap was due to a female advantage in infancy, when behavioral differences between the sexes are minimal. The findings affirm that explanation is at least partly biological.