(Lecture 16) Notes on Mating and Mate Selection

Introduction of an 18-item questionnaire related to mate preferences
Participants rate attributes on a scale from 0 (unimportant) to 3 (indispensable)
Examples of attributes: love, financial stability, etc.
Importance of personal data to compare with research findings

Why is sexual reproduction necessary despite its costs?
- Sexual reproduction leads to genetic diversity. clones would have 100% of your genes but sexual reproduction leads to 50% of your genes. This genetic diversity is crucial as it enhances a population's ability to adapt to changing environments and resist diseases.
- Offspring are not all identical, reducing competition for resources. something about this would give a greater benefit.. which is reduced competition. example watermelon example as if all genes were the same.. all my kids would love watermelon and fight for it but diversity will lead to some liking it and some wont like watermelon.
Examples illustrating reduced competition through genetic diversity
- Scenario with watermelon gene
  - Survival against environmental threats (e.g., COVID susceptibility). some genes would be more sucsceptible than others. “putting all your eggs in one basket is worse than putting them in two”

Biological Warfare Explanation
- Host to numerous other organisms affecting survival. we have more cells from other organisms than your own cells.
- Competition between bodily cells and parasites. these organisms want to survive and reproduce too. some attack your own cells and use your body as a host.
- Sexual reproduction allows for genetic reset, reducing parasite adaptation. if we reproduces asexually, parasites would adapt to our genes very easily. This genetic diversity makes it harder for parasites to specialize in attacking any one version of our genes.

Differences in parental investment between sexes
- Males produce many small, low-cost gametes (sperm) males produce millions of sperm/hour
- Females produce fewer, larger, high-cost gametes (eggs). precious to them as there are only 400 eggs per lifetime.
- Males have minimal investment before or after birth, whereas females invest heavily
Obligations after birth (e.g., gestation and lactation)
- Females face greater physical risks and responsibilities. females can even die during childbirth. even after birth, every 2-3 hours they drink milk from women’s breasts. general grooming, protection also falls under woman’s hands.

Higher costs for females lead to greater selectivity in mate choice.
Males can afford to take more risks due to lower costs
Predictions:
- Females are choosier and more selective; males are more competitive as females are more valuable
Evidence supporting these predictions in various species

-they are domain specific and respond to particular environmental cues

Mate preferences represent evolved traits leading to reproductive success
Importance of physical, psychosocial, and non-personal attributes.
physical attributes like clear skin, facial symmtery are indicators of health and fertility.
psychosocial attributes like kindness, intelligence, and ambition suggesr someone might be a good partner and parent.
non-personal attributes like wealth, social status, family background do not refelct the person directly but increase survival chances or provide better resources for offspring.
The challenge of mate selection due to:
1. Difficulty in assessing positive qualities (e.g., fertility, intelligence) as you can not directly see these traits. some people might fake or exaggerate these qualities maybe by makeup, pretenting to be kind, lying about status etc.)
2. Imperfection in individuals (no one is perfect). every potential partner has flaws and it is rare to find someone who checks every box.
3. Limitation of personal mate value- people want the best but we attract people on our own value too. (looks, resources, personality). if you are considered high value, you get better options.
4. Mate availability- Even if someone exists who meets your preferences, they might be already taken, live far away, or not feel the same about you. Timing and location limit the pool of potential mates.

Prediction for numerous EPMs responding to various traits interacting contextually. In short-term mating contexts, EPMs may prioritize physical traits more heavily, while in long-term contexts, mechanisms focused on trustworthiness, emotional availability, or loyalty might be more activated.
Need for adaptability in preferences based on individual variation. individual differences also play a huge role.People's mate preferences are not fixed; they are flexible and adaptable depending on their own characteristics (e.g., physical attractiveness, social status, personality) and environmental factors (e.g., mate availability, cultural norms). For example, someone with high personal mate value might prioritize more selective traits, while someone with fewer options might adjust their preferences accordingly.

Mate selection plays a Central role in evolution affecting reproductive success. healthy mate selction>more offspring>more reproductive success>evolution
Importance of mate selection across various species. it can be seen almost all sexually reproducing animals. example, peahens choose peacocks with the brightest tails and female frogs prefer males with louder croaks.
Research benefits from studying mate selection in non-human species as we can see universal patterns in mate selection.
Personal relevance for university students in current life stages. this topic isnt just academic but also personally relevant. many young adults are thinking of future partners and relationships.

The discussion of mate preferences will continue throughout the semester
Encouragement to think critically about personal preferences and research findings.