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This book develops and tests an ecological and evolutionary theory
of the causes of human values the core beliefs that guide people s
cognition and behavior and their variation across time and space
around the world. We call this theory the parasite-stress theory of
values or the parasite-stress theory of sociality. The evidence we
present in our book indicates that both a wide span of human
affairs and major aspects of human cultural diversity can be
understood in light of variable parasite (infectious disease)
stress and the range of value systems evoked by variable parasite
stress. The same evidence supports the hypothesis that people have
psychological adaptations that function to adopt values dependent
upon local infectious-disease adversity. The authorshave identified
key variables, variation in infectious disease adversity and in the
core values it evokes, for understanding these topics and in novel
and encompassing ways. Although the human species is the focus in
the book, evidence presented in the book shows that the
parasite-stress theory of sociality informs other topics in ecology
and evolutionary biology such as variable family organization and
speciation processes and biological diversity in general in
non-human animals."
This book develops and tests an ecological and evolutionary theory
of the causes of human values—the core beliefs that guide
people’s cognition and behavior—and their variation across time
and space around the world. We call this theory the parasite-stress
theory of values or the parasite-stress theory of sociality. The
evidence we present in our book indicates that both a wide span of
human affairs and major aspects of human cultural diversity can be
understood in light of variable parasite (infectious disease)
stress and the range of value systems evoked by variable parasite
stress. The same evidence supports the hypothesis that people have
psychological adaptations that function to adopt values dependent
upon local infectious-disease adversity. The authors have
identified key variables, variation in infectious disease adversity
and in the core values it evokes, for understanding these topics
and in novel and encompassing ways. Although the human species is
the focus in the book, evidence presented in the book shows that
the parasite-stress theory of sociality informs other topics in
ecology and evolutionary biology such as variable family
organization and speciation processes and biological diversity in
general in non-human animals.
Research conducted over the last fifteen years has placed in
question many of the traditional conclusions about the evolution of
human female sexuality. Women have not lost estrus, as earlier
researchers thought, but it is simply concealed, resulting in two
functionally distinct sexualities with markedly different ends in
each phase. At the fertile phase of the cycle, women prefer male
traits that may mark superior genetic quality, and at infertile
phases, they prefer men willing to invest resources in a mate.
Thus, women's peri-ovulatory sexuality functions to obtain a sire
of superior genetic quality, and is homologous with estrus in other
vertebrates. This model sheds light on male human sexuality as
well: men perceive and respond to women's estrus, including by
increased mate guarding. Men's response is limited, compared to
other vertebrate males, implying coevolutionary history of
selection on females to conceal estrus from men and selection on
men to detect it. Research indicates that women's concealed estrus
is an adaptation to copulate conditionally with men other than the
pair-bond partner. Women's sexual ornaments-the
estrogen-facilitated features of face and body-are honest signals
of individual quality pertaining to future reproductive value.
Research conducted over the last fifteen years has placed in
question many of the traditional conclusions about the evolution of
human female sexuality. Women have not lost estrus, as earlier
researchers thought, but it is simply concealed, resulting in two
functionally distinct sexualities with markedly different ends in
each phase. At the fertile phase of the cycle, women prefer male
traits that may mark superior genetic quality, and at infertile
phases, they prefer men willing to invest resources in a mate.
Thus, women's peri-ovulatory sexuality functions to obtain a sire
of superior genetic quality, and is homologous with estrus in other
vertebrates. This model sheds light on male human sexuality as
well: men perceive and respond to women's estrus, including by
increased mate guarding. Men's response is limited, compared to
other vertebrate males, implying coevolutionary history of
selection on females to conceal estrus from men and selection on
men to detect it. Research indicates that women's concealed estrus
is an adaptation to copulate conditionally with men other than the
pair-bond partner. Women's sexual ornaments-the
estrogen-facilitated features of face and body-are honest signals
of individual quality pertaining to future reproductive value.
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