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Bateman's principles and human sex roles.
Gillian R Brown1, Kevin N Laland, Monique Borgerhoff Mulder
1School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, South Street, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9JP, UK. grb4@st-andrews.ac.uk
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|May 1, 2009
Summary
Evolutionary theory suggests distinct mating roles for sexes, but research shows human mating strategies are diverse and not universally fixed, challenging traditional views.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Behavioral Ecology
- Human Mating Behavior
Background:
- Bateman's 1948 study on fruit flies proposed sex-specific mating strategies: males are indiscriminately eager, while females are discriminatingly passive.
- This 'Bateman's principle' has been conventionally applied to human mating behavior, suggesting stereotyped sex roles.
- Recent sexual selection theory offers a more nuanced perspective on mating strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To challenge the assumption that evolutionary theory dictates universal, stereotyped sex roles in human mating.
- To examine the applicability of Bateman's principles and modern sexual selection theory to human reproductive success.
- To analyze empirical data on human mating behavior across different populations and historical periods.
Main Methods:
- Review of foundational principles in sexual selection theory, including Bateman's original findings.
- Critical examination of existing data on human mating behavior and its correlation with reproductive success.
- Analysis of both contemporary and historical human population data.
Main Results:
- Bateman's principle of sex-dimorphic mating success is not universally predictive of human behavior.
- Human mating strategies exhibit significant variation across populations and historical contexts.
- The conventional view of 'promiscuous males, coy females' is an oversimplification of human mating dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Evolutionary theory does not prescribe fixed, stereotyped mating roles for human males and females.
- Human mating strategies are flexible and context-dependent, defying a single universal pattern.
- A more complex understanding of sexual selection is required to accurately model human reproductive behaviors.
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