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The Evolution of Human Mating: Trade-Offs and Strategic Pluralism

Gangestad , Steven W. and Simpson, Jeffry A. (2000) The Evolution of Human Mating: Trade-Offs and Strategic Pluralism.

Short Abstract:

During human evolutionary history, there were "trade-offs" between expending time and energy on child-rearing and mating, so both men and women evolved conditional mating strategies guided by cues signalling the circumstances. For some men, many short-term matings might be successful, whereas others might try to find and keep a single mate, investing effort in rearing her offspring. Recent evidence suggests that men with features signalling genetic benefits to offspring should be preferred by women as short-term mates, but there are trade-offs between a mates genetic fitness and his willingness to help in child-rearing. It is circumstances and the cues that signal them that underlie the variation in short and long-term mating strategies between and within the sexes.

Long Abstract:

During human evolutionary history, there were "trade-offs" between expending time and energy on child-rearing and mating, so both men and women evolved conditional mating strategies guided by cues signalling the circumstances. For some men, many short-term matings might be successful, whereas others might try to find and keep a single mate, investing effort in rearing her offspring. Recent evidence suggests that men with features signalling genetic benefits to offspring should be preferred by women as short-term mates, but there are trade-offs between a mates genetic fitness and his willingness to help in child-rearing. It is circumstances and the cues that signal them that underlie the variation in short and long-term mating strategies between and within the sexes.

Keywords:	mating, reproductive strategies, conditional strategies, evolutionary psychology, sexual selection, fluctuating asymmetry
Subjects:	Psychology: Behavioral Analysis Biology: Evolution Psychology: Cognitive Psychology Psychology: Evolutionary Psychology
ID code:	bbs00000556
Deposited by:	S Gangestad on 02 May 2001