Part 3: Challenges of Sex and Mating Flashcards
Definition of Male & Female Gametes
Mature reproductive cells
- small, mobile, large quantity
-large, stationary, small quantity
successful reproduction requires
-mate selection
-successful Intrasexual competition
-successful conception
- mate retention
-reciprocal dyadic alliance formation
long term mating strategy
cautious, choosy, monogamous,etc
short term mating strategy
eager, not so choosy, promiscous
biological basis for each mating strategy
different costs and benefits associated with each strategy
costs & benefits differ, depending on context
Parental investment theory
an evolutionary theory that explains the differences in reproductive strategies between males and females based on the amount of parental investment each sex typically provides in offspring.
The theory posits that because females typically invest more heavily in offspring due to pregnancy, lactation, and often more intensive care, they are more selective in choosing mates. In contrast, males, who generally invest less in offspring, compete with each other for access to mates and are less selective in their choice of partners.
Women should be especially sensitive to evidence to “good genes” because :
greater obligatory parental investment in offspring
greater reproductive costs associated with “unfit” offspring
greater reproductive costs if she chooses a mate with “bad genes”
we would expect men to develop counter strategies to deceive women:
-feigning greater status (or potential status)
-feigning greater commitment than truly willing to provide
Three useful questions to ask as means of generating testable hypotheses
1.) Who might be especially sensitive to evidence of “good genes?”
2.) When might they be especially sensitive to this evidence?
3.) What phenotypic traits might provide this evidence?(what do we find sexy?”
relatives of non-heterosexual women tend to have higher reproductive success than
relatives of heterosexual women
kin altrusim theory
gay men would invest more in their kin
female fertility hypothesis
human females have evolved to conceal their ovulation, meaning they do not display overt signs of fertility to males, unlike many other species.
example: female monkey red butts
biological older brother
greater likelihood of same sex attraction for men with older biological brothers
alliance formation theory
human beings form alliances and friendships as a strategy to enhance their reproductive success and survival.
