Darwin-L Message Log 8:45 (April 1994)

Academic Discussion on the History and Theory of the Historical Sciences

This is one message from the Archives of Darwin-L (1993–1997), a professional discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.

Note: Additional publications on evolution and the historical sciences by the Darwin-L list owner are available on SSRN.

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<8:45>From azlerner@midway.uchicago.edu  Thu Apr 14 20:47:49 1994

Date: Thu, 14 Apr 94 20:47:47 CDT
From: "Asia "I work in mysterious ways" Lerner" <azlerner@midway.uchicago.edu>
To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: sexual selection

  On the one hand, they argue for a chimp-like promiscuous society in which
  males are cheap (take that any way you will) and females are choosy. This
  should lead to sexual selection for males. Hence, among other things, we see
  female preferences for high status males.

  On the other hand, females are competing for high status males and thus are
  under sexual selection themselves to be sexy. Hence the evolution of breasts,
  etc. Hence males express preferences for young, healthy, fertile females.

This is somewhat oblique to the issue, but was a preference for young females
ever established by observation in chimp, or any other animal society? If
"fertile" designaes "estrus" than that must be tautologically correct.

Asia

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