[SampleMan]

A male having a symmetrical body was also liked, indicating that he could give her strong children. Still, those men not living up to such visions can take comfort in her preference of men with lower levels of testosterone, since this suggests that he’s less likely to pursue others.

This is where the need to make evolution fit every action makes a lot of research into crap (not that this research wasn't already crap). Any finding, no matter what it is, is given an evolutionary reason without the least bit of evidence. If women prefer large men, its for the protection and strong children. If they pick small men, its for easier child birth. If they pick violent men its because they are dominant males. If they pick passive men, its because they are more dedicated providers. etc., etc., etc.

The beauty of it is that the proof is always that we exist. Thus everything we do can be proved to be evolutionarily driven, because evolution drives everything and we exist.

I know this is a sidebar issue, and I'm not even arguing against evolution, just this tendency to justify this type of crap as evolutionary behavior, so that someone can fluff a little "science" into their grant project.

[Arthur McGowan]

Thanks for pointing this out. Every NYT science article ends up discussing evolution. And all it really “proves” is that what is is.

If intellectually shallow people ceased to be convinced that “evolution” provides a “reason” to reject God, they would throw evolution over in a minute.