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Revising Evolutionary Narratives: A Consideration of Alternative Assumptions About Sexual Selection and Competition for Mates
Author(s) -
Hamilton M. E.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
american anthropologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1548-1433
pISSN - 0002-7294
DOI - 10.1525/aa.1984.86.3.02a00070
Subject(s) - competition (biology) , sexual selection , narrative , human sexuality , provisioning , mate choice , natural selection , sociology , biology , demography , ecology , gender studies , telecommunications , computer science , mating , philosophy , linguistics , population
Evolutionary narratives about the adaptive significance of human sexuality often assume that human female sexual traits evolved because females had to compete for mates and depended on male‐provisioned food. In contrast, biological theory predicts that males are more likely to compete for females. While competition among both sexes is clearly a feature of modern social life, the factors that created female dependency and competition are relatively recent developments. M. E. HAMILTON is Regional Representative, National Audubon Society. Central Midwest Regional Office. Michigan City. IN 46360.