Evolution on the Meat-Sex Exchange

New York Times ^ | August 28, 2003 | MEREDITH F. SMALL

[AndrewC]

This is too stupid for words.

Yes, these just-so stories are what happens when preconceptions get in the way.

[malakhi]

Naw, she simply woke up one morning craving red meat.

And then she nagged her husband until he went hunting? If he came back empty-handed, she berated him about what a loser he was?

It all makes sense now... ;o)

[HalfFull]

The female lust for meat, Dr. Shlain suggests, is responsible for the evolution of much of human behavior,

Well....there you have it. Case closed.

[connectthedots]

The female lust for meat...

This is too easy.

[.cnI redruM]

I figured those lamo veggie burgers wouldn't get you laid.

[MD_Willington_1976]

How can this be...my wife's friend is a vegetarian..."she don't eat meat but she sure likes the bone" is the best way to describe her...

[presidio9]

Speaking from personal experience are you?

[Porterville]

Men, who have high levels of testosterone, which increases their sex drive, are then lured into hunting and sharing meat by the promise of continuous sex from these menstruating, sexy women

Bad news for vegetarian men, good news for vegetarian lesbians.

[PatrickHenry]

I know this is all a stretch [larger brain size--a larger head, making it harder to give birth]

Amazing, where the subconscious mind will lead us.

[Argh]

Pinging Miss Whyisa"I'lltrademeatformeat"TexasgirlinPA!

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Nice point.......

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Pinging Miss Whyisa"I'lltrademeatformeat"TexasgirlinPA!

You say that like it's a bad thing........

[Mack the knife]

Another version of this line of thinking, and from the review above, probably much better thought out, appears in "The Sex Contract: The Evolution of Human Behavior"
by Helen E. Fisher.

Fisher argues that three things occurred in the evolution of humans: brain got bigger, humans started walking upright, and females had monthly cycles rather than the yearly cycles typical of other primates.

A consequence of humans walking upright is that the pelvis got smaller; a consequence of bigger brains is that babys were born earlier, thus requiring longer before they were self sufficient (chimps require 3 years to become mature).

The author asked the question - which came first?

She concluded that when a genetic mutation occurred for monthly cycles, this allowed those females to attract males for sex in exchange for food (the sex contract!), and this trait won the evolutionary race.

Maybe that is the original "Eve".

The book is still available on Amazon.com.

Of course, others would argue that many women have regressed, grudgingly yielding to sex only on the yearly basis.

[presidio9]

I think I've heard enough already.

[Rudder]

I went to a cocktail party/dinner in honor of a Dr. Zollinger, retiring president of the American College of Surgeons. The surgeon got into a conversation with a world-reknowned historian. It went something like this:

"Well, doctor, how do plan to spend your retirement?" said the historian.

"I'm glad you asked, I thought I would try my hand at writing some history." the surgeon replied.

"How coincidential!" exclaimed the historian loudly. "You see, I'm about to retire as well and I thought I would try my hand at a little surgery."

Leonard Shlain should stick to what he knows.

[NCjim]

Humans and apes separated about six million years ago

That's when the apes discovered that the humans were a bad influence on them...

[f.Christian]

All thanks to evolution ... rag head science --- liberals !

The govt is functioning under herd instinct now ... cattle pens --- packing house !

Social engineering ... feed lot education too !

[Argh]

You say that like it's a bad thing........

I suppose if one has enough spare meat and is desperate, it could be attractive under certain circumstances...

[blam]

"Cravings are a body's way of telling us we're low on something."

Yup. It's just that simple.

[blam]

"Someone at some point is going to come along with a meteor theory to explain this, I just know it."

If this one does not satisfy...let me know. I have many more

A Catastrophical Scenerio For Discontuinities In Human History