Re: Evolution and Sexuality

From: Chambers, Catherine (CATCH92@psy.soton.ac.uk)
Date: Wed Mar 08 1995 - 11:30:08 GMT


Dear All

I have to agree, we can be a lot more subtle than the animals because
men don't need much encouragement!! (yes, I know I'm overgeneralising
but you know what I mean). As for synchronising of womens periods who
live together, this only occurs as far as I know if all women involved
actually know the others in the house have their period too. So its the
knowledge that the other has their period, not a secret scent. Maybe,
well in my experience anyway. As for Alexas theory on why women conceal
it and how this came to be adaptional as a historical form of
contraception, I agree.

James (3rd year lawyer) says you can tell when a women is fertile
because it is 14 days after they are ratty and irrational!! but we'll
just ignore that! If they get ratty, noone wants have sex with them,
but two weeks later, they are a changed woman, so men get interested
again and have sex with them during their fertile period. But this
doesn't explain why women enjoy sex during their period.

I do actually have something to say on the previous lecture, on the
issue of male/female incompatability. It's more efficient for women to
have one partner who supports in bringing up the children while for
men, the best thing is to have sex with as many people as possible to
ensure passing on genes and using as little energy as possible. This
seems odd; like evolution has made a mistake, or got ahead of itself.
Maybe in the beginning, you know in cave-men times, humans were
pair-bonding, in that they mated for life. This would make sense as
women were then unable to bring up children without the support of the
male to provide food, so for a male to ensure his offspring lived, he
would have to provide this support. BUT sex being the fun pasttime it
is for humans has lead to people not mating for life (just for
Christmas!) and due to changes in our society meaning women (or even
men for that matter) can bring up children alone, has lead to us males
and females being 'incompatible'. So the question is: Why is sex fun? -
from an evolutionary point of view; Why not make it just like drinking?
Of course I'm not complaining!! Apparently even in pair-bonded
relationships, eg birds, the males are often unfaithful to the females
(typical!); but for swallows, 24% of babies are looked after by a male
who isn't their father! (ref Mike Beecham, 3rd year biology)

A quick point about homosexuals: I wasn't actually in the lecture so
may have the wrong end of the stick, but did you say something about
mutual promiscuity means male/male is more compatable? Isn't that a
little stereotyped??

Any thoughts greatly appreciated Catherine.



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