Research Catalog

Title

Why sex matters : a Darwinian look at human behavior / Bobbi S. Low.

Author

Low, Bobbi S.

Publication

Princeton ; Oxford : Princeton University Press, [2015]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Description

xiii, 412 pages : illustrations; 24 cm

Summary

"Why are men, like other primate males, usually the aggressors and risk takers? Why do women typically have fewer sexual partners? In Why Sex Matters, 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, but that sometimes cooperation and collaboration are the most effective ways to succeed. This newly revised edition has been thoroughly updated to include the latest research and reflect exciting changes in the field, including how our evolutionary past continues to affect our ecological present"--

Subject

• Human evolution
• Sex role
• Nature and nurture
• Sociobiology
• SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Evolution
• SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Ecology
• SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Biology / General
• SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / General
• PSYCHOLOGY / Movements / Behaviorism
• Biological Evolution
• Sexual Behavior
• Sex Characteristics
• Gender Identity
• Social Behavior
• Culture
• Gender Role

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Introduction -- Racing the Red Queen -- The ecology of sex differences -- Sex, status, and reproduction among the apes -- Sex, resources, appearance, and mate choice -- Sex, resources, and human lifetimes -- Sex and resource ecology in traditional cultures -- Sex, resources, and fertility in transition -- Nice guys can win -- in social species, anyway -- Conflicts, culture, and natural selection -- Sex and complex coalitions -- Politics and reproductive competition -- Sex, resources, and early warfare -- Societal complexity and the ecology of war -- Wealth, fertility, and the environment in future tense.

ISBN

• 9780691163888
• 069116388X

LCCN

^^2014027259

OCLC

• 886880007
• SCSB-11883312

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library