Sex and evolution: companion web site

Posted by on September 8, 2008 
Filed Under Class discussion

In class today we watched Why Sex?, a film from the seven-part PBS series on evolution. PBS has produced a companion website where you can review some of the key lessons of the film and explore more about the relationship between sex and evolution.

In particular, I encourage you to read Matt Ridley’s essay, The Advantages of Sex. How do Ridley’s arguments relate to assigned readings from last week?

You can also search the Evolution Library at the PBS site to find excerpts from the film, including segments on the Red Queen, songbird infidelity, sweaty t-shirts and human mate choice, and chimpanzee and bonobo sex.

What did you understand to be the key lessons of the film? Are there particular points that you found interesting, compelling, or overstated?

Comments

12 Responses to “Sex and evolution: companion web site”

  1. Seiya Miyazaki on January 23rd, 2008 12:10 pm

    I have a question that’s probably a little difficult to answer, as it pertains to the origins of sexual relationships. Is there a definite time period in which Homosapiens began to engage in sex for pleasure as opposed to just reproductive purposes? I am interested in finding the possible conscious period in which humans discovered that the necessary biological function held a much more recreational possibility. And stemming from that, is the act of sex for pleasure a result of the increasing intelligence levels among creatures? The need to find activities to occupy time left over from the increased technological advancement tools provided for even the earliest of our ancestors. … Sorry if it’s a lot, I would just like some clarification : )

  2. Caitlain on January 24th, 2008 6:44 pm

    It was quite a while before humans understood the connection between intercourse and childbirth. It was a purely pleasurable experience long before it was associated with procreation. Think about it – you have sex and it is a full 9 months before a child is born, and that didn’t always happen to begin with. So until people became intelligent enough to understand the connection, it was understood as a purely pleasurable act.

  3. Lance Gravlee on January 25th, 2008 3:55 pm

    There are a few different questions here. The first is when humans started having sex for pleasure rather than just for procreation. The difficulty in answering this question, of course, is that motivations for having sex don’t get recorded in the fossil record. So we have to look to other lines of evidence, including archaeological evidence for social organization and comparative data on nonhuman primate sexuality.

    That’s the approach Jared Diamond takes in the reading assigned for last week. His basic argument is that recreational sex is as fundamental to the emergence of humankind as are our big brains and upright posture. Thus, recreational sex almost certainly predates the emergence of our species, Homo sapiens. But I think it’s fair to say that there remains a lot more speculation than science on this point.

    Another aspect of your question was when humans connected the dots between sex and reproduction. I don’t know if we have the data we’d need to answer that question. One approach would be examine cross-cultural data on folk theories about conception and pregnancy. I haven’t looked into this issue yet, but I would expect to find variability in how people explain conception and the relationship to sexual intercourse.

    Can anyone point us to data to test this idea?

  4. emerson on September 8th, 2008 12:53 pm

    Is it not safe to assume that, while homosapiens have not actively understood the particular techinal reason behind “why” sex is procreative, it has always been understood that it is procreative?

    Paleolithic people, who relied on hunting and gathering (ergo understanding the movements of animal herds), probably saw a correlation between mating seasons and gestation periods that then would produce offspring. Surely they would be able to recognize a similar pattern in their own species.

    Also, does not a lot of the urge to have sex rely on instinct? Which is not necessarily fully understood, but accepted and acted upon. I think instinct and passion probably have a lot in common.

    In terms of “pleasure”, could it be that there is a certain amount of conditioning that “tells” us to accept sex as pleasurable and fun. Because in other cultures, while the stimulus is universal, the stimulation may not be the same level of fun.

  5. MaryBeth on September 8th, 2008 3:26 pm

    I read this article on MSN a few weeks ago (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26180187/). It is about how the birth control pill can cause women to choose mates that have similar immune genes to herself. It popped into my head today when it showed the experiment of women smelling shirts that men had worn to bed. I think that the general concept of scent, genes, and mate selection is so interesting. This twist makes it even more interesting.

  6. Anonymous on September 10th, 2008 3:05 pm

    In regards to what was said today in class today about light-skinned black males, that they are “pretty-boys” and less masculine than darker black males, I have to add my peace and say that I disagree with this idea. It is true that many of the fairer black males try to hold out as pretty boys, however the same can be said about the darker black males also. However, it can also be said that many light skinned black males are also the subject of ostracization in a weaker form from their “darker” counterparts, because of the same reason we were discussing.
    Futhermore, many black women tend to place stigmas on light black males; regarding their attitudes as very cocky and conceited. However, i think these sterotypes and stigmas are lived out only because of the negative attitudes many black people hold towards light skinned blacks.
    Being towards the lighter side myself, i experienced early in my childhood that many of my darker peers weren’t willing to be as freindly with me at first conact, and now later in life, i am seeing that some black women caution themselves against light skinned black males, and sometimes are hesitant in befreinding them.
    Skin color is only a trait, we shouldn’t have to act a certain way because we are a certain color, or attach certain judgements to someone because of the same reason, instead we have to learn to be ourselves, and stop classifying our fellow peers, because everyone is unique.

  7. Anonymous 2 on September 11th, 2008 10:25 am

    To the above,
    It is funny you want us to stop making race a issue and say that we are all unique. that would amazing and i have been to about 10 other countries in my life where race really isn’t an issue. One night while I was in England, i was at a party talking to a black guy and said, ” If you are not American, what is the Politically correct term to call you (like African American)?” and he looked at me like I had asked the weirdest question in the world. He said well I am Black, what else do you want to call me? From my travels I have realized that most people just say their race, white or black, and then where they descend from and only when they have to document it. Now with you wanting to be equal and everything, I feel its hard when Americans do everything in the world to keep us seperated, eg black fraternities,affirmitive action hispanic club, I mean i have been in the Tur. plaza and been denied info about a club b/c it was only for black people.
    But with who you pick for as your sexual partner, i think that is based on culture and the customs you grew up around. If i saw a black man wearing sometype of african tribal outfit and saw another black man wearing boardshorts and sandals, I would go for the surfer lookin dude, but i also grew up on the beach!!!
    (In the end, the human mind sucks when it comes to racism, because i have noticed what u were saying on light skin vs dark skin. Maybe one day the world will work in peace.)

  8. Gender, race, and skin color : ANT 2301: Human Sexuality & Culture on September 11th, 2008 2:29 pm

    [...] in the United States. Apparently others wanted to chime in: two anonymous students have posted comments about skin color and gender in response to another blog [...]

  9. Briana on September 11th, 2008 9:16 pm

    I would like to briefly point out that the predominantly black fraternities and sororities are not meant to ostracize or seperate anyone. They’re meant to help strengthen the bond between the minority students that have things in common with each other. We have to be truthful to ourselves- race will probably always be an issue in our lifetimes. Organizations such as those are to help guide and help minorites through a place where they are outnumbered. They help build strong, positive bonds between people that come from similar backgrounds.

    I would also like to point out that I am black and in the 12 countries I have travelled to, race has ALWAYS been an issue. Maybe the black person you talked to did not feel comfortable discussing his race with you, but they always seemed at ease discussing their struggles and inquiring about mine.

    Your point is well-taken about the fact that we should look beyond race. However, you must also realize that in a society where the integration of schools happened only 54 years ago, that is unrealistic at times.

  10. Brandon Daniel (From the Front Row) on September 16th, 2008 2:45 pm

    I would like to say that I was the student who made the statement about light-skinned black males opposed to dark-skinned black males. I did not intend to offend anyone, but was simply stating what I’ve experienced in my life growing up in south florida.

    Spurred by the media, lighter skinned black males are “what women want” when they look for a black “mate.” The mere mention of the name “Chris Brown” has girls moaning, quivering, and stating about how “fine” he is. Now, when certain women want a stereotypical “hard and/or thug” black male, they tend to look for a dark skinned black man.

    I am of the darker skinned spectrum of the color scale and I’ll say that I don’t fit the whole “thug” persona. Likewise, light-skinned black males are always pretty boys. Shoot, everyone likes to look good and depending on both where you’ve grown up and what the media portrays, your idea of “looking good” is transformed.

    And to put a spin on this discussion…in other races, from what I’ve seen of whites and hispanics, darker skin tone is preferred…

  11. Kevin on September 18th, 2008 11:24 pm

    these responses are awesome

  12. Cody on September 22nd, 2008 1:52 pm

    Interracial dating is something that I view as normal. I was born and raised in miami, fl. and i am a white female. I know individuals that say they just couldn’t date a “black man” and i always respond i could never date a really pale guy. I don’t think there is anything wrong with interracial dating or sexual activity, I myself have had experience with interracial activity. It is just a matter of attraction, preference, and culture. I try to keep an open mind. I know some people that find asians really good looking, it is just an attraction, something about asians makes this person tick. Light, dark, asian, hispanic, white, black, individuals are attracted to whatever they are attracted to, I believe it doesn’t matter what ethnicity you are. Some cultures deem it only acceptable to have relations with someone of the same culture. Even religous standards are being broken down, where my jewish friends want to be able to pass thier significant others off as jewish if it came down to their parents.