Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior
Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior

Author: Peter B. Gray

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2013-04-15

Total Pages: 448

ISBN-13: 0674074394

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Few things come more naturally to us than sex—or so it would seem. Yet to a chimpanzee, the sexual practices and customs we take for granted would appear odd indeed. He or she might wonder why we bother with inconveniences like clothes, why we prefer to make love on a bed, and why we fuss so needlessly over privacy. Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior invites us into the thought-experiment of imagining human sex from the vantage point of our primate cousins, in order to underscore the role of evolution in shaping all that happens, biologically and behaviorally, when romantic passions are aroused. Peter Gray and Justin Garcia provide an interdisciplinary synthesis that draws on the latest discoveries in evolutionary theory, genetics, neuroscience, comparative primate research, and cross-cultural sexuality studies. They are our guides through an exploration of the patterns and variations that exist in human sexuality, in chapters covering topics ranging from the evolution of sex differences and reproductive physiology to the origins of sexual play, monogamous unions, and the facts and fictions surrounding orgasm. Intended for generally curious readers of all stripes, this up-to-date, one-volume survey of the evolutionary science of human sexual behavior explains why sexuality has remained a core fascination of human beings throughout time and across cultures.

Sex, Evolution, and Behavior
Sex, Evolution, and Behavior

Author: Martin Daly

Publisher:

Published: 1983

Total Pages: 420

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This text provides an elementary level discussion of recent theory relating to the evolutionary and adaptive aspects of reproductive behaviour. The relation between ultimate and proximate levels of explanation is the major theme of the book. Two new chapters in this edition incorporate findings from recent research and there is also new material on humans, physiology, and development. Sex and reproductive behaviour are examined from an evolutionary comparative perspective and numerous empirical studies and examples are cited.

Social Behavior of Female Vertebrates
Social Behavior of Female Vertebrates

Author: Samuel Wasser

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2012-12-02

Total Pages: 414

ISBN-13: 0323151426

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Social Behavior of Female Vertebrates focuses on the evolution of reproductive behavior in female vertebrates ranging from fish to birds and humans, including issues of mate choice and other factors underlying female attitudes toward males. It also looks at the evolution of mating systems; the co-evolution of the sexes; sex-role reversal; reproductive competition between females; maternal behavior; and how females enhance the investment received by their offspring from others. It also considers other social behaviors that influence the nature of affiliative associations between females. Organized into three parts encompassing 13 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of behavioral biology and sources of variation in female reproductive success. It then discusses the establishment and maintenance of sex biases, sex differences mediated by sexual selection, constraints on female choice in the mottled sculpin, mate choice by females in sexual selection of bird song, and female manipulation of male avoidance of cuckoldry behavior in the ring dove. The reader is also introduced to the evolution of polyandry in shorebirds; reproductive strategies in human females; social and health-seeking behaviors of Taiwanese women; female roles in cooperatively breeding acorn woodpeckers; altruism in coati bands; cooperation and reproductive competition among female African elephants; mate choice in matrilineal macaque groups; and reproductive competition and cooperation among female yellow baboons. This book is a valuable resource for scientists and behavioral biologists, as well as lay people whose interests span a variety of fields.

Drosophila
Drosophila

Author: Therese A. Markow

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2005-11-01

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 0080454097

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Anyone wishing to tap the research potential of the hundreds of Drosophila species in addition to D.melanogaster will finally have a single comprehensive resource for identifying, rearing and using this diverse group of insects. This is the only group of higher eukaryotes for which the genomes of 12 species have been sequenced.The fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster continues to be one of the greatest sources of information regarding the principles of heredity that apply to all animals, including humans. In reality, however, over a thousand different species of Drosophila exist, each with the potential to make their own unique contributions to the rapidly changing fields of genetics and evolution. This book, by providing basic information on how to identify and breed these other fruitflies, will allow investigators to take advantage, on a large scale, of the valuable qualities of these other Drosophila species and their newly developed genomic resources to address critical scientific questions.* Provides easy to use keys and illustrations to identify different Drosophila species* A guide to the life history differences of hundreds of species* Worldwide distribution maps of hundreds of species* Complete recipes for different Drosophila diets* Offers an analysis on how to account for species differences in designing and conducting experiments* Presents useful ideas of how to collect the many different Drosophila species in the wild

Reproductive Ecology and Human Evolution
Reproductive Ecology and Human Evolution

Author: Peter T. Ellison

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-09-04

Total Pages: 809

ISBN-13: 1351493507

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The study of human reproductive ecology represents an important new development in human evolutionary biology. Its focus is on the physiology of human reproduction and evidence of adaptation, and hence the action of natural selection, in that domain. But at the same time the study of human reproductive ecology provides an important perspective on the historical process of human evolution, a lens through which we may view the forces that have shaped us as a species. In the end, all actions of natural selection can be reduced to variation in the reproductive success of individuals.Peter Ellison is one of the pioneers in the fast growing area of reproductive ecology. He has collected for this volume the research of thirty-one of the most active and influential scientists in the field. Thanks to recent noninvasive techniques, these contributors can present direct empirical data on the effect of a broad array of ecological, behavioral, and constitutional variables on the reproductive processes of humans as well as wild primates. Because biological evolution is cumulative, however, organisms in the present must be viewed as products of the selective forces of past environments. The study of adaptation thus often involves inferences about formative ecological relationships that may no longer exist, or not in the same form. Making such inferences depends on carefully weighing a broad range of evidence drawn from studies of contemporary ecological variation, comparative studies of related taxonomies, and paleontological and genetic evidence of evolutionary history. The result of this inquiry sheds light not only on the functional aspects of an organism's contemporary biology but also on its evolutionary history and the selective forces that have shaped it through time.Encompassing a range of viewpoints--controversy along with consensus--this far-ranging collection offers an indispensable guide for courses in biological anthropology, human biology, and primatology, along with

Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Sexual Psychology and Behavior
Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Sexual Psychology and Behavior

Author: Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-07-08

Total Pages: 419

ISBN-13: 1493903144

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This volume in the Springer Series in Evolutionary Psychology presents a state of the art view of the topic of sexuality and sexual behavior drawing on theoretical constructs and research of noted individuals in the field. Comprehensive and multi-disciplinary, this book seeks to provide a broad overview without sacrificing the complexity of a multi-faceted approach. The book is framed by introductory and closing sections that provide a context for the range of ideas contained within. Ample space is provided in designated sections that focus on key areas of sexuality from both male and female perspectives and that include information from primate studies. This volume can serve as a graduate text in sexual behavior in evolutionary terms and as a guide for further research.

The Evolution of Insect Mating Systems
The Evolution of Insect Mating Systems

Author: David M. Shuker

Publisher:

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 355

ISBN-13: 0199678022

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Insects display a staggering diversity of mating and social behaviours. Studying these systems provides insights into a wide range of evolutionary and behavioural questions, such as the evolution of sex, sexual selection, sexual conflict, and parental care. This edited volume provides an authoritative update of the landmark book in the field, The Evolution of Insect Mating Systems (Thornhill and Alcock, 1983), which had such a huge impact in shaping adaptationist approaches to the study of animal behaviour and influencing the study of the evolution of reproductive behaviour far beyond the taxonomic remit of insects. This accessible new volume brings the empirical and conceptual scope of the original book fully up to date, incorporating the wealth of new knowledge and research of the last 30 years. It explores the evolution of complex forms of sex determination in insects, and the role of sexual selection in shaping the evolution of mating systems. Selection arising via male contest competition and female choice (both before and after copulation) are discussed, as are the roles of parasites and pathogens in mediating the strength of sexual selection, and the role that parental care plays in successful reproduction. The Evolution of Insect Mating Systems is suitable for both graduate students and researchers interested in insect mating systems or behaviour from an evolutionary, genetical, physiological, or ecological perspective. Due to its interdisciplinary and concept-driven approach, it will also be of relevance and use to a broad audience of evolutionary biologists.

Mating Systems and Strategies
Mating Systems and Strategies

Author: Stephen M. Shuster

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2019-12-31

Total Pages: 546

ISBN-13: 0691206880

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book presents the first unified conceptual and statistical framework for understanding the evolution of reproductive strategies. Using the concept of the opportunity for sexual selection, the authors illustrate how and why sexual selection, though restricted to one sex and opposed in the other, is one of the strongest and fastest of all evolutionary forces. They offer a statistical framework for studying mating system evolution and apply it to patterns of alternative mating strategies. In doing so, they provide a method for quantifying how the strength of sexual selection is affected by the ecological and life history processes that influence females' spatial and temporal clustering and reproductive schedules. Directly challenging verbal evolutionary models that attempt to explain reproductive behavior without quantitative reference to evolutionary genetics, this book establishes a more solid theoretical foundation for the field. Among the weaknesses the authors find in the existing data is the apparent ubiquity of condition-dependent mating tactics. They identify factors likely to contribute to the evolution of alternative mating strategies--which they argue are more common than generally believed--and illustrate how to measure the strength of selection acting on them. Lastly, they offer predictions on the covariation of mating systems and strategies, consider the underlying developmental biology behind male polyphenism, and propose directions for future research. Informed by genetics, this is a comprehensive and rigorous new approach to explaining mating systems and strategies that will influence a wide swath of evolutionary biology.

Mammalian Sexuality
Mammalian Sexuality

Author: Alan F. Dixson

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-06-03

Total Pages: 405

ISBN-13: 1108426182

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The first detailed account of post-copulatory sexual selection and the evolution of reproduction in mammals.

Reproductive Behavior and Evolution
Reproductive Behavior and Evolution

Author: J. Rosenblatt

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-06-29

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 1468426257

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Daniel S. Lehrman Memorial Symposia Series will publish the proceedings of symposia devoted to the evolution, development, and organization of behavior. These various symposia will bring together at intervals scientists studying problems from each of these view points. The aim is to attempt to integrate our knowledge derived from these different sources and to familiarize scientists working on similar behavior patterns with the work of their colleagues in related fields of study. Each volume, therefore, will be devoted to a specific topic in the field of animal behavior, which will be explored with respect to its evolutionary aspects, including the adaptive nature of the behav ior; with respect to its developmental aspects, including neural, hor monal, and experiential influences; and with respect to the analysis of features of organization, including motivational, perceptual, and motor aspects and their physiological bases. It is our feeling that the most appropriate memorial to our colleague and close friend, Daniel S. Lehrman, is the continuation of his valuable contributions toward integrating these approaches to the study of animal behavior, which he pursued so effectively during his own life. Daniel S. Lehrman's lifelong love and study of animal behavior gave us a wealth of new insights into reproductive behavior and evolution. It is therefore appropriate that the first symposium of this series is devoted to recent advances in this field.