It's incredibly poor science to extrapolate human behavior from that of beetles.

May I??...just...ROFL!!!

Mind you, it does say:

"The University of Manchester research -- published in Ecology this month -- supports the findings of studies carried out on human families but is significant in that it suggests a wholly natural tendency towards older siblings."

Sibling rivalry- yet another good reason for me to stick with the one kid.

I knew it. She always treated him better than me. ;)

Uh..lemme tell you being an only child who married the oldest of five and having 2 boys myself is an eye-opening look into the world of sibling drama. My wife says I am biased to my younger son, and I totally agree. HE is SOOOO much less annoying than the six year old, he is laid back and easy going. The first one was fussy, and needy, and WHINES constantly. The little one is a rough and tumble bruiser but a real sweetheart. In other words, the older one is just like me, and the little one is just like my wife....no wonder I am biased towards him. My wife finds this appalling, I don't get it, but then again I AM an ONLY child.

I would think that it is the opposite with humans. I am the youngest of 3 from my mom (my dad had 2 more), but they always called me the spoiled one because I was my moms "baby" (and still am at 22). Every family I've known had it pretty much the same way, the youngest one gets everything, and mom and dad favor their side of a fight. I hear this all the time about my little brother "don't make him cry" :"just leave him alone" "just give it to him so he'll stop whining""and let him do what he wants". I just think that the youngest sibling is more favored instead of the oldest. But the oldest does have more responsibility usually.

I am a middle child...

Enough said.

I'm the oldest, and I am favored.
However, my theory is that it's because I am not completely out of it or mean spirited like my brothers.