PSYCH361 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Sexual Reproduction, Sexual Attraction, Libido
13 Feb 2019
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Darwin not only developed natural selection, but also developed a theory of sexual selection. Organisms have evolved not only to survive but also to reproduce. Competition: males compete with other males, and that females compete with other females, for access to a mate, organisms compete to ensure that high-quality genes are passed to the offspring. Although both survival and reproduction are primary pressures, in most cases, if they are pitted against each other, evolution will favor reproduction over survival. Sex must play an important role in the life of humans beyond conception. There is an asymmetry between males and females seen across species. Nonsexual reproduction is not limited to lower organisms; it can also happen in vertebrates. Given these costs, there must be advantages to sexual reproduction: analogy: lottery, asexual breeding is like buying many tickets for a national lottery, but all of them have the same number.
