PSY230H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Casual Sex, Parental Investment, Molecular Evolution
Document Summary
Human gene pool contains genes that were adaptive during evolution (hunter-gatherer societies in the african savanna) More adaptive genes should be more prevalent in the gene pool. Adaptation is a slow process: genes that were adaptive may no longer be adaptive today. Many evolutionary problems are the same for men and women (finding food, shelter, body temperature regulation: no gender differences. Some evolutionary problems differ between men and women (eg. uncertainty of paternity: gender differences. Men and women differ in minimal parental investment. Men can father hundreds of children in a life time: quantity can compensate for quality. Women can have only a relatively small number of children: quality of the mate is very important. Boys and girls first live is mommy. Boys project their love for their mom on other women. Girls cannot project their love of mommy on men. Therefore, women are less interested in sex.
