ANT2301 Professor Thomas Concealed Ovulation to Marriage Practices 50 Multiple Choice Concealed Ovulation What is Concealed Ovulation o The exact timing of female ovulation able to get pregnant is unknown to both the male and female of species Humans have concealed ovulation What is Estrus o Marked by increases in female sexual behavior and attractiveness at the period of highest fertility just before ovulation Period of genital swelling When one is in heat What are these three things Receptivity Proceptivity Attractiveness o Receptivity readiness to copulate when solicited by a male No difference b w humans and primates o Proceptivity active encouragement and solicitations by females to copulate More limited in primates during estrus o Attractiveness females become sexually exciting to males During estrus males find females attractive How do they differ between primates and humans o Receptivity has no difference between primates and humans Proceptivity is more limited in primates during estrus For attractiveness most of the female primate menstrual cycle is characterized by sexual disinterest in males What times of the months are humans Receptive Perceptive Attractive o Constant receptivity Perceptive usually during estrus Attractive most during estrus Chimps have estrus Bipedalism anytime you see a list it s usually a all of the following or all of the following except o Centralized foramen magnum o The vertebral column has distinct S curve o The pelvis rotates forward in humans becomes shorter and bowl shaped o The femur angles inward to the knee o The foot develops a distinct arch o Abducted big toe used for toe off walking Biomechanics what kinds of things affect it o Movement of genitals to underneath the pelvis o Need a reduction in swelling to maintain biochemical efficiency Visual Cue is lost It is not an advertisement anymore o Reducing swelling and movement of genitals males cannot see if females are ready to become pregnant Olfactory cues we have no hair but we have hair in our armpits genitals o Males most often prefer a females odor during ovulation when not on contraception Know about t shirt study when males smell shirts of females what stage of ovulation was more attractive During ovulation follicular phase Lap dancers that got the most tips were ovulating and not using contraception Voice changes higher pitch fertile phase more attractive Behavioral Theories o Competition concealed ovulation reduces male male competition and enhances cooperation among male hunters Males cannot compete for females that are ovulating o Pair bonding concealed ovulation enhances bond between man and woman by making woman continuously receptive proceptive and attractive o Food sharing Male chimps are more likely to share foo with females in estrus o Paternity concealed estrus exploits male paranoia over paternity enhances pair bond Used to confuse paternity and prevent infanticide o Increased paternal care concealed ovulation increases the chances for male paternal care With male care giving the female can have children more often and increase reproductive success Among the Hadza can they smell when a female is ovulating o No because they all smell like smoke Males say females get pregnant right after menstruation which is completely not right Huaulu o Menstruation pollution o Males are forbidden to touch look go into or repair huts under risk of death Kodi Blue Dye Fermentation o Secret complex of female arts o Females Blue witches inherited through female side of family Blueness is inherited STDs are blamed on women having sex during menses Mate Preferences We re always trying to look for increased reproductive success Females that are ovulating prefer a more masculine face When not ovulating less masculine more feminine Less masculine better parental care Confer study o Females stick to facial attraction no matter what type of relationship o Males are more attracted to body attractiveness for short term Facial attractiveness for long term Olfactory Genetics o Everything goes away when contraception is used Major Histocompatibility Complex o It s about immune system so we share a lot of it with relatives which is why you don t think they smell very good somebody who has a different immune system Age Factor o Men prefer younger Women prefer older o As males get older they prefer younger and younger Teenage males prefer older women Evolutionary Explanation o Women reach their reproductive peak around the age of 20 Graph is peaked at puberty and then goes down A lot is based on gender roles Females are choosing based on resources food health ambition jobs Females value resources more than males do Burger King study Females preferred a less attractive higher status male than an attractive Burger King employee Dominance when male was being dominant attractiveness went up No change in female because it did not matter if female was submissive or dominant Looks were the most important Parenting ability Photos of male taking good care of kids is more attractive Jealousy Males find sexual infidelity worse than females Females find emotional infidelity worse than males do Homosexual biggest determining factor for preferring older or younger partners if they are searching for a feminine or masculine role this correlates with age they are looking for Hadza o Males favor fertility a lot more than women o Women favor intelligence a lot more than men Attractiveness Males find attractiveness more important Fluctuating Asymmetry males with low FA are more symmetrical and are more attractive asymmetrical Health symmetrical males and females are assumed to be healthier than Composite faces are more symmetrical because you re averaging a face Koiniophilia you want somebody that looks normal not odd o Idea that when sexual creatures seek a mate they prefer that mate not to have any unusual peculiar features When we look at attractiveness we are not necessarily just looking at the face face etc Hormonal markers testosterone makes larger cheekbones lengthening of Facial hair hair growth with higher testosterone levels Hair provides strong social sexual signals Ancestry plays a role Male baldness is associated with status older age reduced physical aggression higher status Female features high levels of estrogen and low levels of testosterone cheek bones full lips small nose small chin large eyes etc Neoteny babyish face large eyes high cheekbones full lips The final face had proportions of a 14 yr old