Comments for Human Sexual Selection . Sat, 22 May 2010 14:45:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Comment on Reflections. And Orgasms. by Avery ./?p=124&cpage=1#comment-19 Avery Sat, 22 May 2010 14:45:51 +0000 ./?p=124#comment-19 great post! they're offering a course on the female orgasm next semester at Swat--I wonder if an evolutionary perspective will be included! I certainly hope they would at least mention in. great post!
they’re offering a course on the female orgasm next semester at Swat–I wonder if an evolutionary perspective will be included! I certainly hope they would at least mention in.

]]> Comment on Reflections. And Orgasms. by Katherine ./?p=124&cpage=1#comment-18 Katherine Sun, 16 May 2010 18:39:12 +0000 ./?p=124#comment-18 clever picture. clever picture.

]]> Comment on Do you believe in love at first sight, or should we instead compare MHC heterozygosity? by Colin Purrington ./?p=87&cpage=1#comment-17 Colin Purrington Thu, 13 May 2010 14:27:24 +0000 ./?p=87#comment-17 Any chance the Wal-Mart test will have MHC component? When are websites going to have Apps that display compatibility profiles? "Looking for SWM who is not carrying the following recessives alleles..." Any chance the Wal-Mart test will have MHC component? When are websites going to have Apps that display compatibility profiles? “Looking for SWM who is not carrying the following recessives alleles…”

]]> Comment on How many overt references to science/evolution/sexual selection can you find? by Colin Purrington ./?p=102&cpage=1#comment-16 Colin Purrington Thu, 13 May 2010 14:25:44 +0000 ./?p=102#comment-16 It would be fun to look at photographs of the top 100 most famous female feminists...just to see how frequent makeup us is. Maybe there are certain types of makeup that strive for youth versus those that do not. Might be entertaining. It would be fun to look at photographs of the top 100 most famous female feminists…just to see how frequent makeup us is. Maybe there are certain types of makeup that strive for youth versus those that do not. Might be entertaining.

]]> Comment on Reflections and questions by Colin Purrington ./?p=117&cpage=1#comment-15 Colin Purrington Thu, 13 May 2010 14:21:07 +0000 ./?p=117#comment-15 Yea, talking about the science of sexual selection is still on the taboo side of things. EO Wilson's Sociobiology book would have been a good thing for us to read at the start of the semester...as a backdrop to the science and the politics of viewing humans as organisms. There is a dominant, dominating thread in certain disciplines to view all aspects of humans as plastic and cultural...taking even a little bit of that away gets many people up in arms. Yea, talking about the science of sexual selection is still on the taboo side of things. EO Wilson’s Sociobiology book would have been a good thing for us to read at the start of the semester…as a backdrop to the science and the politics of viewing humans as organisms. There is a dominant, dominating thread in certain disciplines to view all aspects of humans as plastic and cultural…taking even a little bit of that away gets many people up in arms.

]]> Comment on End of Semester Musings by Colin Purrington ./?p=120&cpage=1#comment-14 Colin Purrington Thu, 13 May 2010 14:16:24 +0000 ./?p=120#comment-14 Great to hear your summary thoughts. Great to hear your summary thoughts.

]]> Comment on Sexual Imprinting in Humans by Arielle ./?p=64&cpage=1#comment-13 Arielle Mon, 10 May 2010 21:11:30 +0000 ./?p=64#comment-13 Hmm. The study didn't actually look at men's preferences, though that would have added an interesting spin. I had never really thought about the behavioral side before, but it certainly seems as though it could have a sexual selection background. I haven't been able to find any studies related to behavioral preferences in terms of matching to fathers/ mothers, but that would be so cool. I wonder which would have more importance-- physical matching or behavioral matching? My first guess might be physical matching because so much is decided on appearances. Though, maybe, in recent years behavioral matching has increased in importance because physical appearances can be changed so much that they may not be an 'honest' reflection of a person's genes? Hmm. The study didn’t actually look at men’s preferences, though that would have added an interesting spin. I had never really thought about the behavioral side before, but it certainly seems as though it could have a sexual selection background. I haven’t been able to find any studies related to behavioral preferences in terms of matching to fathers/ mothers, but that would be so cool. I wonder which would have more importance– physical matching or behavioral matching? My first guess might be physical matching because so much is decided on appearances. Though, maybe, in recent years behavioral matching has increased in importance because physical appearances can be changed so much that they may not be an ‘honest’ reflection of a person’s genes?

]]> Comment on How many overt references to science/evolution/sexual selection can you find? by Katherine ./?p=102&cpage=1#comment-12 Katherine Sat, 08 May 2010 21:01:54 +0000 ./?p=102#comment-12 Avery, I completely agree with you, especially about population norms. They simply signify where the peak of the bell curve is. With regards to populations defined by sex, race, etc, people either get uncomfortable with these norms or they apply them too readily. In either case, they forget that generalizations like these can't be applied to any one individual. Avery, I completely agree with you, especially about population norms. They simply signify where the peak of the bell curve is. With regards to populations defined by sex, race, etc, people either get uncomfortable with these norms or they apply them too readily. In either case, they forget that generalizations like these can’t be applied to any one individual.

]]> Comment on How many overt references to science/evolution/sexual selection can you find? by Avery ./?p=102&cpage=1#comment-11 Avery Sat, 08 May 2010 18:03:06 +0000 ./?p=102#comment-11 This exemplifies what I struggle with as a feminist and a through and through proponent of evolutionary explanations for behavior, because they can so easily be perverted by the likes of the wonderful Cosmo. When you take the science out of evolutionary claims, they become pithy statements like the ones above that can be construed as sexist and aren't necessarily helpful: "Guys associate a radient complexion with good mental health...That bronzer? Totally worth it!" Ok, so health is desirable. Agreed. I just think the jump to "you need makeup" doesn't make any scientific sense, which is what their claim here seems to be. Also, to beat a dead horse of mine--population norms don't necessarily correlate to individual preferences...they CAN, but it is disingenuous to suggest they always do. Thoughts? This exemplifies what I struggle with as a feminist and a through and through proponent of evolutionary explanations for behavior, because they can so easily be perverted by the likes of the wonderful Cosmo. When you take the science out of evolutionary claims, they become pithy statements like the ones above that can be construed as sexist and aren’t necessarily helpful:
“Guys associate a radient complexion with good mental health…That bronzer? Totally worth it!” Ok, so health is desirable. Agreed. I just think the jump to “you need makeup” doesn’t make any scientific sense, which is what their claim here seems to be.
Also, to beat a dead horse of mine–population norms don’t necessarily correlate to individual preferences…they CAN, but it is disingenuous to suggest they always do.

Thoughts?

]]> Comment on Sexual Imprinting in Humans by junior swattie ./?p=64&cpage=1#comment-10 junior swattie Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:37:26 +0000 ./?p=64#comment-10 Did the study find the same result for men? There has always been that cultural saying that men look for women who most ACT like their mothers, not necessarily look like their mothers. Could it be that women are actual picking mates according to two factors. On the physical front using the self-matching theory that you suggested earlier, while also selecting a mate based on similar behaviors exhibited that coincide with the behaviors of their father. Are there any studies in regards to this? Did the study find the same result for men? There has always been that cultural saying that men look for women who most ACT like their mothers, not necessarily look like their mothers. Could it be that women are actual picking mates according to two factors. On the physical front using the self-matching theory that you suggested earlier, while also selecting a mate based on similar behaviors exhibited that coincide with the behaviors of their father. Are there any studies in regards to this?

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