Sex, Evolution and Behavior

Book Description

* Provides elementary-level discussion of theory relating to evolutionary and adaptive aspects of reproductive behavior.

Customer Reviews:

How much of your behavior is ruled by sexual evolution?.......2001-02-08

I read this book in a college class. Mind you, I didn't read most of my college books, but I couldn't put this one down. It gives a clear, intelligent, remarkably well-documented, fascinating description of how sex evolved and how that evolution effects the behavior of everything from bacteria to modern social humans.

This book is very accessible to any reasonably educated reader, regardless of your knowledge of evolutionary biology. And each idea is punctuated with a fascinating example taken from nature.

Book Description

Sex Differences serves as an advanced text for courses in evolutionary and human biology, psychology, and sexuality and gender studies. It also serves as a reference source for academic professionals in these disciplines. The book covers the evolution of sex and sex differences, and sex differences and sexual strategies in non-human and human animals. The final chapter addresses issues of sex and gender in interpersonal relationships, organizations and politics. Diagrams, graphs, charts, and tables illustrate key concepts; cartoons and photos provide visual breaks and an element of humor.

Key Features
* Examines sexual differences from a multi-level comparative approach
* Contains a thorough coverage of literature through 1998 and into 1999
* Illustrates pages with a generous use of cartoons, photos, figures, and diagrams
* Invites bonus learning with special interest boxes interspersed throughout text
* Presents a critical analysis
* Includes a combination of feminist and evolutionary thinking

Customer Reviews:

Clear and Informative.......2001-09-22

This is an excellent, clearly written, well-organized scholarly review of sex differences. The author takes a broad look at the topic, which makes the book useful for a broad range of readers: biologists, psychologists, medical practitioners, ecologists, clinicians,counselors, and the well-informed general reader. The clear writing style and careful review of the literature make this a very accessible and informative book.

Hormones, Sex, and Society: The Science of Physicology (Human Evolution, Behavior, and Intelligence)

Average customer rating:

Some very depressing evidence & ideas presented here!

Hormones, Sex, and Society: The Science of Physicology (Human Evolution, Behavior, and Intelligence)
Helmuth Nyborg
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0275946088

Book Description

Nyborg sets out to prove that classic ideas of the mind, learning, and memory must be re-examined through the lens of modern biology. Neuroscience and the biological and biomedical sciences have advanced far beyond the limits of 19th century neuroanatomy, and we now know that chemical neurotransmitters and circulating hormones act to alter electrical brain activity and structure. At the same time heredity is now recognized to be not as omnipotent as in the "Nature/Nurture" debate of the last century. Nyborg examines these issues, and he shows that recent research in the molecular and brain sciences makes it possible to develop alternative research programs that apply empirical, quantitative, natural science principles and methods in order to unravel intricate problems like human nature and society. He concludes this work with a new approach--Physicology--the study of physico-chemical processes behind body, brain, behavior, and society. This book will be of great interest to behavioral scientists, and all concerned with the impact of physico-chemical processes on the changes in ourselves and our societies.

Customer Reviews:

Some very depressing evidence & ideas presented here!.......2004-02-21

First off, a very interesting & well written book, even if it was very depressing. This book completely supports my suspicions about sex hormone level & intelligence, & makes it clear that a trade-off situation exists between the two. Ever since i had begun to take notice of the huge differences in physical type between the men & boys who performed exceedingly well, myself included, & those who performed exceedingly badly in intellectual matters( i.e. school) i became conviced that the differences had at least some major correlation with their owners respective achievements. What i noticed was that the brilliant, high acheiving, towering I.Q. male students were almost always of non-virile appearance, many of them, like me, having exceptionally unmasculine facial features on small, narrow shoulders & pencil-thin necks, & commonly looking somewhat older & more mature than the low acheiving, much more virile looking students. These differences are not the result of a lack of body-building or physical interest on these student's part, but a reflection of meaningful biological differences. There exists a trade-off between high virility & intellect, meaning that most of the very brightest among us have low male hormone levels, resulting in their characteristically androgynous appearance. Now, Nyborg's book offers no proof, but has enough solid evidence to support this hypothesis, as well as my own personal observations. I am also one of these very high acheivers i mention, with the typical unmasculine phenotype i have described, no doubt the result of my very low serum androgen levels(290 ng/dl). I have always desired to look very rugged & highly virile, but now i doubt that it's biologically possible considering the trade-off hypothesis proposed here with it's sufficient support. No wonder the faces of the great philosphers look so much more gentle & feminine than the faces i see at the local bodega. Too bad that a "distinguished" face cannot be a highly masculine one. Less masculinity=more intellect? Ever notice that slum dwellers are rarely lacking in high virility? Now, notice the huge physical & mental differences you observe between a group of corner thugs & a group of Mensa members. Shocking? Overall, the thought that high-virility cannot be possessed at once with high intellect is very depressing to me, at the very least. Yes, we all want better brains, but at what price? The incompatibility of braininess & virility i've personally observed, & now read about, is hardly a completely desireable & acceptable expense. But nature is not kind in this. I can tell you one thing, & that is that i hate being an androgynous male, regardless of my having a very high I.Q. Other men, though, may not mind this situation.

Book Description

The Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata) is well known to biologists and home aquarium enthusiasts alike. Scientists have studied guppies for most of the twentieth century. Some of the most intensive recent research has been conducted by behavioral ecologists, who have found that the guppy mating system makes guppies especially useful in the study of sexual selection and mate choice. By observing guppy behavior in aquaria, researchers hope to obtain new insights into how selection operates in natural populations. Here Anne Houde summarizes and synthesizes the scientific work done to date, relates the empirical findings on guppies to current themes in sexual selection theory, and suggests new directions for future research.

This book describes the sexual behavior of guppies and examines how mate choice by females leads to the evolution of the conspicuous colors and the courtship displays for which guppies are widely recognized. The author shows that female guppies prefer males with bright color patterns, especially those with orange spots, and that the mating preferences of females lead to sexual selection on both color patterns and courtship displays of males. Houde's work addresses a number of areas that are of interest in sexual selection, including the remarkable degree of plasticity and evolutionary lability of sexual behavior in guppies, geographic variation in mating preferences, possible mechanisms for the evolution of female mating preferences, and the role of sexual selection in speciation. In conclusion, the author explores the implications of her findings for behavioral ecologists who study sexual selection in other species.

Customer Reviews:

So much more than guppies.......2001-04-03

Anne Houde's book is not only about sex and mate choice in guppies, but is a profound review of the state of knowledge in sexual selection and mate choice evolution in the late 1990's. Her chapters on models of mate choice evolution in particular are among the clearest and most even handed treatments of a rather complex and difficult field. This book will be of immense value to anyone interested in the evolution and ecology of sexual reproduction and mate choice. It is of extra value to "guppyologists" because of the way Houde reviews all of the techniques used in different labs, and for the fantastic "to do" list of future research questions that she offers.

Sexual Conflict (Monographs in Behavior and Ecology)

Average customer rating:

excellent book!

Sexual Conflict (Monographs in Behavior and Ecology)
Goran Arnqvist , and Locke Rowe
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0691122180

Book Description

The past decade has seen a profound change in the scientific understanding of reproduction. The traditional view of reproduction as a joint venture undertaken by two individuals, aimed at replicating their common genome, is being challenged by a growing body of evidence showing that the evolutionary interests of interacting males and females diverge. This book demonstrates that, despite a shared genome, conflicts between interacting males and females are ubiquitous, and that selection in the two sexes is continuously pulling this genome in opposite directions. These conflicts drive the evolution of a great variety of those traits that distinguish the sexes and also contribute to the diversification of lineages. Göran Arnqvist and Locke Rowe present an array of evidence for sexual conflict throughout nature, and they set these conflicts into the well-established theoretical framework of sexual selection.

The recognition of conflict between the sexes is transforming our theories for the evolution of mating systems and the sexes themselves. Written by two top researchers in the field, Sexual Conflict is the first book to describe this transformation. It is a must read for all scholars and students interested in the evolutionary biology of reproduction.

Customer Reviews:

excellent book!.......2007-10-01

the book is very well written and summarizes the important facts and ideas within the topic of sexual conflict.

Digit Ratio: A Pointer to Fertility, Behavior, and Health (A volume in the Rutgers Series in Human Evolution, edited by Robert Trivers.)

Average customer rating:

the only work of its kind?

Digit Ratio: A Pointer to Fertility, Behavior, and Health (A volume in the Rutgers Series in Human Evolution, edited by Robert Trivers.)
John T. Manning
Manufacturer: Rutgers University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 081353030X

Customer Reviews:

the only work of its kind?.......2005-07-26

This book by John T. Manning, who is apparently the leading authority on digit ratio and its biological/hormonal causes.

To summarize: this book posits and goes about proving how prenatal testosterone levels affect the masculinazation of the fetus, resulting in a low 2d:4d digit ratio. This ratio is the ratio of finger length of the index finger vis-a-vis the ring finger on the same hand. Masculine ratios are under 1.0, meaning that the index finger is shorter than the ring finger. Feminine ratios are generally 1:1 or the index finger is slightly longer than the ring finger. Manning also goes on to determine how this ratio may be an indicator of adult masculine traits, such as athletic ability, musical ability, and physical aggressiveness and assertiveness.

What this book does right:

1. It's more of a textbook than casual reading. It presents copious data and is immaculately presented and organized in easy to read fashion. It is easy to refer back to over and over again, as it should be with good reference material;

2. As such, this book will dispel any disbelief in what is considered a mildly controversial topic in mainstream news. People are still uncomfortable with the fact that something as obvious as the finger length on their hands can tell a lot about them, even to total strangers;

3. Despite the copious anecdotal evidence and hard data, Manning does exercise due caution in jumping to conclusions about where this area of study may lead;

4. The prose is very succinct and to the point. Though only around 170 pages, it is packed with information;

This book only gets four stars because of some minor quibbles. First, it is not a book that will entertain the casual science reader. Those who will get the most benefit are those who are actually in a field of biological study that deals specifically with areas like prenatal hormonal conditions, sex differentiation of brain patterns, etc. Second, Manning may be overly conservative in conjecturing where this field of study may lead. Granted, he is justified in doing so, given the potentially controversial and ethically questionable course it may take; however, I felt this book leaves almost too much to further study, given the fact that scientists have known about the 2d:4d ratio and its biological roots for decades. At this stage, this book could have been written as a roadmap for further study rather than being mainly a recap for what has already been done.

Still, it is the only book of its kind that I know of, and it does very ample justice to a fascinating and obscure topic that literally affects all of us.

Average customer rating:

Social Evolution in Ants
Andrew F.G. Bourke , and Nigel R. Franks
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0691044260
Release Date: 2007-02-05

Book Description

Biologists since Darwin have been intrigued and confounded by the complex issues involved in the evolution and ecology of the social behavior of insects. The self-sacrifice of sterile workers in ant colonies has been particularly difficult for evolutionary biologists to explain. In this important new book, Andrew Bourke and Nigel Franks not only present a detailed overview of the current state of scientific knowledge about social evolution in ants, but also show how studies on ants have contributed to an understanding of many fundamental topics in behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology.

One of the substantial contributions of Social Evolution in Ants is its clear explanation of kin selection theory and sex ratio theory and their applications to social evolution in insects. Working to dispel lingering skepticism about the validity of kin selection and, more broadly, of "selfish gene" theory, Bourke and Franks show how these ideas underpin the evolution of both cooperation and conflict within ant societies. In addition, using simple algebra, they provide detailed explanations of key mathematical models. Finally, the authors discuss two relatively little-known topics in ant social biology: life history strategy and mating systems.

This comprehensive, up-to-date, and well-referenced work will appeal to all researchers in social insect biology and to scholars and students in the fields of entomology, behavioral ecology, and evolution.

Why Sex Matters: A Darwinian Look at Human Behavior.

Average customer rating:

A book with to many numbers and figures
Brilliant, if dense, review of human behavior
Falls Short
Great but not an easy read
New book with some new stuff!

Why Sex Matters: A Darwinian Look at Human Behavior.
Bobbi S. Low
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0691089752

Book Description

Why are men, like other primate males, usually the aggressors and risk takers? Why do women typically have fewer sexual partners? Why is killing infants routine in some cultures, but forbidden in others? Why is incest everywhere taboo? Bobbi Low ranges from ancient Rome to modern America, from the Amazon to the Arctic, and from single-celled organisms to international politics to show that these and many other questions about human behavior largely come down to evolution and sex. More precisely, as she shows in this uniquely comprehensive and accessible survey of behavioral and evolutionary ecology, they come down to the basic principle that all organisms evolved to maximize their reproductive success and seek resources to do so.

Low begins by reviewing the fundamental arguments and assumptions of behavioral ecology: selfish genes, conflicts of interest, and the tendency for sexes to reproduce through different behaviors. She explains why in primate species--from chimpanzees and apes to humans--males seek to spread their genes by devoting extraordinary efforts to finding mates, while females find it profitable to expend more effort on parenting. Low illustrates these sexual differences among humans by showing that in places as diverse as the parishes of nineteenth-century Sweden, the villages of seventeenth-century China, and the forests of twentieth-century Brazil, men have tended to seek power and resources, from cattle to money, to attract mates, while women have sought a secure environment for raising children. She makes it clear, however, they have not done so simply through individual efforts or in a vacuum, but that men and women act in complex ways that involve cooperation and coalition building and that are shaped by culture, technology, tradition, and the availability of resources. Low also considers how the evolutionary drive to acquire resources leads to environmental degradation and warfare and asks whether our behavior could be channeled in more constructive ways.

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Customer Reviews:

A book with to many numbers and figures.......2006-08-06

I bought this book to learn some interisting new facts that I have not heard about before. Well this book didn't do that. Most of the stuff in this book I have read in other places and it was written better. Like The "Red Queen" by Matt Ridley & "Why is Sex Fun" by Jarod Diamond.
This book relies to heavely on statistical data to come up with anything very interisting. I found myself skipping complete pages and chapters because of the boredom for having to read to many statistics.
If you are looking to use this book as a resource to quote statistics about sex then you are in good shape, this book will give you plenty of that. Other wise i recomend that you stir clear of this book.

Brilliant, if dense, review of human behavior.......2003-07-21

Basically, I'm of much the same opinion as most of the other reviewers. It's a thoroughly fascinating book, which actually looks at human behavior as it should be seen: the ecology and interactions of highly inteligent, highly communicate, mostly bald apes. Well worth the read. That said, I must say that without at least some background knowledge in evolutionary biology, you'll find it tough to digest. But such is the way of scientific works, and, frankly, I prefer it as is, rather than loaded down with explanations of things I already know from my classes.

Definitely a book worth not only read, but keeping around as a reference.

Falls Short.......2002-09-22

This topic is extremely complex and professor Low , in my opinion, falls short of further elucidating this field. It's breadth is impressive and stimulated me to pick up the book, however, it doesn't seem to be researched comprehensively. There were several significant omissions. For example, the "group selection muddle" is only a problem for biologists who fail to understand group selection. I admit, alot of prominent biologists don't get it, however, any valid review of the topic should reference David Wilson and Elliot Sober. Also, Low should add that Charles Darwin accepted group selection as an evolutionary mechanism. Another example involves the gender and war section. Again, Low knows more about this subject than most biologists, however, the field of military psychology encompasses more than Clauswitz and Keegan.
On the positive side, I believe professor Low handles the nature-nurture question well. Several sections were informative. Unless one is an expert in this area, they will certainly learn a few new things.

Great but not an easy read.......2002-04-13

Although a talented scientist, Bobbi Low is not a talented writer. This is a great book for those with some foreknowledge of the subjects of sex and evolutionary psychology, but it might be a little obtuse for the casual reader. Her writing style is somewhat stilted and dry, and she quite often assumes the reader is familiar with prior studies and concepts that are germaine to her point, without explaining those concepts, or at best doing so very obliquely. There is a wealth of information here, though, for those willing to decipher what she's saying.

New book with some new stuff!.......2001-02-21

The title of this book is a little misleading, because it is an excellent book on evolution in general. That is, it is much broader than the title implies, is very well written, and brings some new perspectives to the subject of human behavior and evolution. It is one of the better books that covers the subject as completely as possible and I would recommend it as an introduction to the subject for the novice or for additional reading for those already versed in the subject.

Therefore, rather than giving and overview of the book, I will comment on just a few points Low makes that I found especially interesting. He advances the recent research that has been done on group evolutionary strategies. That is, we have evolved our higher intellect not for dealing with a harsh environment but for the sake of competing with each other. Humans, forming cohesive groups thousands of years ago, cooperated together to compete against other groups. That included genocide, warfare, etc. The smarter and more cohesive the group, the more likely it would win out over the less cohesive or less intelligent group.

He also sheds light on our irrationality or our illogical behavior. As a species that evolved in social groups, we are far too responsive to the rare events that we feel threatened by. This means we are quick to pass laws or try to remedy problems that are essentially quite rare but become sensationalized in the press. We as a species are also quick to blame others for their bad behavior based on their flawed character, while our own failures are attributed to circumstances. We have an incredible ability to rationalize our own shortcomings. In addition, we are easily led by people with status, and are easily duped by their explanations of social situations. That is, we believe too readily what we are told by leaders.

His covering of war and deception is also rich in explanations and insight. With regards to a one world government he states, "In a major work on the kin selection roots of warfare, after eloquent analysis, the authors are reduced to calling for 'some form of world government, some management force that might stabilize the most immediate threat to humanity --- nuclear destruction.' The entire work, however, is an acknowledgment that the power of in-group amity and out-group enmity would likely force any such world government to be a conquest state, a chilling prospect."

Book Description

The second volume of the collected papers of W D Hamilton, each one introduced by an autobiographical essay. Hamilton is the most important theoretical biologist of the 20th century and his papers, not especially numerous, have had, and continue to exert, an enormous influence. Many were originally published in obscure and inaccessible places. Volume 1 (OUP, still in print) was devoted mainly to selection for social behaviour, the first half of Hamilton's life's work; Volume 2 is on the other half, on sex and sexual selection, and it includes the 18 papers published between 1980 and 1991. Each paper is accompanied by a specially written introduction describing why the work was done, how the paper came to be written, and its eventual fate. The introductions, written in an accessible, non-technical style, include history, opinion, and excerpts from Hamilton's life.

Customer Reviews:

A brilliant sequel..........2002-12-05

...marred only by the untimely death of the author. Volume Two focuses on the second half of the extraordinary career of the MOST extraordinary W.D. Hamilton. The papers presented here are almost without exception key components of much of what many of us regard as an appropriate evolutionary approach to the origins of sex, kinship, disease response etc. and the book would be worth having just to get all of these in a convenient bound form instead of the dog-eared xeroxes that doubtless clog up many of your files. Beyond that however we also get more of hamilton's delightful insights into just how he came up with an idea, who he was talking to, where he was while he was working on a concept, what he thought of a piece of work years later, etc. etc, -in other words all the "gossip" that when you know it makes science a real human endeavor, and when it is left out tends to leave many of us cold. Above all else one gets the sense that here was someone who was without question a genius, but was also a lovely person as well -someone with a sense of humor and a sense of his own mortality, who at the same time could revel in the sheer beauty of an idea, or the notion of life as a cosmic joke that must nonetheless be taken seriously. Anyone who is interested in the DOING of science as well as the content would be well advised to browse through this book. The intro by Dawkins is frankly skippable, but the rest? Sheer joy!

The Sex Contract: The Evolution of Human Behavior

Average customer rating:

Powerful concept
The origin of our behavior

The Sex Contract: The Evolution of Human Behavior
Helen E. Fisher
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0688015999

Customer Reviews:

Powerful concept.......2005-08-03

The Sex Contract does a great job of developing a novel concept for the development of human intelligence via pair bonding and mutual assistance. It examins cooperative development as a competitive stratigy in early hominids. It builds a compelling argument for the strong development of social stratigy in the success of the species.

Well written with a broad appeal for serious behaviorial scientists as well as sutdents of the human condition.

The origin of our behavior.......1998-06-21

Never a book has helped me understand the very nature of human behavior like "The sex Contract". It deals with the essence and origin of our acts and thoughts: sexual differences. A great book!

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