Key Concepts in Human Evolution and Mating Systems

A collection of flashcards covering key concepts from human evolution, mating systems, and parental investment theories based on the lecture notes.

What is paternal investment?

Male contributions to offspring survival and success.

What does cuckoldry refer to in evolutionary biology?

A male raising another male's offspring unknowingly.

Define facultative parenting.

The context-dependent expression of parental behaviors.

What is alloparenting?

Care given to offspring by individuals other than the biological parents.

What does life history theory explain?

Reproductive and developmental strategies across species.

What is the operational sex ratio (OSR)?

The ratio of males to females available for mating, influencing mating strategies.

What are the benefits of fatherhood to children?

Reduces mortality risks, enhances social competitiveness, and provides protection.

How does paternal absence affect child mortality?

Father absence can triple mortality from illness and double risks from violence.

What are the costs of fatherhood to fathers?

Lost mating opportunities, risk of cuckoldry, and trade-offs between mating and parenting.

What influences female behavior in terms of mating?

Lower interest in casual sex and hidden ovulation foster long-term bonds.

What is the universal pattern of parental investment between genders?

Women typically invest more in direct care, especially of infants.

What biological factors correlate with paternal investment?

Lower testosterone and higher prolactin levels.

How does marriage quality affect male parenting?

Men's parenting is more contingent on marital satisfaction than women's.

What is sexual jealousy?

Emotional reaction to a perceived threat to one’s mating relationship.

What is paternity uncertainty?

The evolutionary concern for males that offspring may not be biologically theirs.

Define mate guarding.

Behaviors intended to prevent a partner’s infidelity.

What is hidden ovulation and why does it matter?

The lack of obvious fertility cues increases continuous mate guarding and influences paternal investment.

What is the main function of marriage in evolutionary terms?

To secure paternal investment, control female sexuality, and provide social alliances.

What are some tactics associated with mate guarding?

Limiting a partner’s contact with others, surveillance, and extreme violence.

What dynamics influence modern marriage?

High divorce rates due to conflicts over investment, infidelity, and sexual satisfaction.

What is serial monogamy?

The practice of engaging in a series of monogamous relationships over time.

How is mate retention related to male characteristics?

More pronounced in males with attractive partners or lower self-esteem.

What does Dunsworth & Eccleston (2015) argue about childbirth?

Human childbirth is exceptionally difficult, with high pain and mortality risks.

What is the Obstetric Dilemma (OD)?

The evolutionary trade-off between bipedal locomotion and birthing large-brained infants.

Define fetal rotation in childbirth.

The twisting of the fetus during delivery due to the complex shape of the human pelvis.

What is meant by altriciality in newborns?

Birth of seemingly underdeveloped infants, with humans considered secondarily altricial.

What is cooperative breeding?

An evolutionary adaptation where others help care for offspring.

How does human pelvic morphology relate to childbirth?

Evolved in response to bipedalism, affecting the birth canal’s shape.

Why is social childbirth assistance significant?

It helps mitigate the challenges of complicated human childbirth.

What is the central hypothesis of the EGG theory?

Birth timing is determined by maternal metabolic limits, not just pelvic constraints.

What characteristics do humans possess relating to cooking according to Wrangham et al. (1999)?

Cooking, not just meat-eating, played a crucial role in human evolution.

What is the cooking hypothesis?

Human anatomy and life history evolved from cooked food consumption rather than raw.

How does cooking affect energetic gain according to the cooking hypothesis?

Cooking increases digestibility and energy extraction from food.

What are life history traits influenced by according to the cooking hypothesis?

Energy availability and cooking practices.

What is the significance of food theft hypothesis?

The need to protect cooked food may have driven pair bonding and male provisioning.

What are some anatomical changes in humans linked to cooking?

Humans have small teeth, reduced gut size, and large brains aligned with eating cooked food.

What are the consequences of raw diets in chimpanzees when compared to human diets?

Raw diets yield low energy; cooked diets are essential for meeting human metabolic demands.

What do cooking and societal labor divisions lead to in terms of cooperative breeding?

Enhanced social structures and reduced individual time costs.

What does Buckle et al. (1996) argue about sex differences in mate preferences?

Proposes evolutionary hypotheses tested across cultures.

What is the Parental Investment Theory proposed by Trivers?

The sex investing more in offspring will be choosier in mate selection.

According to Buckle et al., what do men value in mate selection?

Physical attractiveness more than women do.

What do women prioritize in mate selection according to Buckle et al.?

Good financial prospects and status more than men do.

What does Social Role Theory suggest about partner preferences?

Preferences are shaped by culturally structured expectations tied to social roles.

What is the Structural Powerlessness Hypothesis?

Women seek men with resources due to limited economic power.

How do historical changes impact mate preferences?

Rapid changes over time reflect shifts in gender roles and societal expectations.

What are the challenges to the evolutionary psychology model presented by Zentner & Eagly?

Emphasizes the importance of sociocultural factors in shaping preferences.

What do modern gender attitudes indicate about mate preferences?

Traditional views correlate with stronger sex-typed preferences.

What are the long-term mating preferences for women?

Seeking males with resources, commitment, and emotional warmth.

What is strategic pluralism in human mating?

Humans pursue multiple mating strategies based on individual traits and ecological context.

Define dual mating strategy in terms of female choice.

Females may pair with long-term mates for resources and seek genetic benefits from extra-pair males.

What is the ovulatory shift hypothesis?

Women’s sexual preferences change across the menstrual cycle.

According to Trivers (1972), what drives sexual selection in mating behavior?

Relative parental investment (PI) governs sexual selection, influencing competition and choice.

What are some constraints experienced by males in mating behavior?

Trade-offs between parenting effort and mating effort influenced by female preferences.

What did Geary (2021) suggest about the evolution of paternal investment?

Male parenting is high compared to most species, enhancing offspring success and reducing mortality.

How has culture influenced modern fertility according to Hopcroft (2019)?

Wealthier individuals tend to have fewer children despite their ability to support larger families.

What does the wealth-fertility paradox highlight?

Wealthier individuals often have fewer children in industrialized societies.

What is the significance of mating strategies in human mating behavior?

They are influenced by individual traits, ecological context, available resources, and social conditions.

How do hierarchical structures affect human mating systems?

Marriage practices shaped by status and resource control influence reproductive success.

Define the polygyny threshold model.

Females accept polygyny when resources from a polygynous male exceed what a monogamous male offers.

What does Marlowe's research suggest about the nature of forager societies?

Foragers provide insights on Pleistocene behaviors, emphasizing egalitarian and flexible structures.

According to Marlowe (2005), how does resource availability impact diet composition?

Gathering dominates in rich environments, while hunting and fishing increase in less productive settings.

What does the concept of fission-fusion sociality imply?

A social structure where groups split and come together based on environmental conditions.

How do male contributions to diet vary according to environmental conditions?

Male contributions increase in colder environments with low plant availability.

What does Geary (2021) emphasize about sexual selection?

Sexual selection shapes traits and behaviors that enhance reproductive success.

What defines sexual dimorphism?

Biological differences in size, traits, or behavior between males and females.

What role does risk-taking play in male competition?

It signals fitness through costly behaviors, especially in contexts of resource scarcity.

What is emphasized as a key factor in understanding human mating strategies?

The interaction of biological, psychological, ecological, and social factors.

How do jealousy and relationship dynamics reflect evolutionary adaptations?

Jealousy promotes mate guarding and reflects evolutionary pressures on commitment and resource investment.

What insight does the study on gender identity and sexual orientation provide?

That they are shaped by prenatal events and not solely by postnatal factors.

What key biological factors do prenatal hormones influence?

The development of gender identity and sexual orientation.

Define the fraternal birth order effect (FBO).

Each older brother increases the likelihood of male homosexuality by about 33%.