Why Women Have Orgasms: An Evolutionary Analysis.
Whether women's orgasm is an adaptation is arguably the most contentious question in the study of the evolution of human sexuality. Indeed, this question is a veritable litmus test for adaptationism, separating those profoundly impressed with the pervasive and myriad correspondences between organism...
| Published in: | Archives of Sexual Behavior Vol. 41; no. 5; pp. 1127 - 1144 |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article |
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Springer Nature
Oct2012
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=82562033&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 82562033 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 00040002 ASX jtl: Archives of Sexual Behavior issn: 00040002 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Oct2012 vid: 41 iid: 5 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature artinfo: ui: 82562033 10.1007/s10508-012-9967-x ppf: 1127 ppct: 17 formats: fmt: @attributes: type: P size: 358KB tig: atl: Why Women Have Orgasms: An Evolutionary Analysis. aug: au: Puts, David Dawood, Khytam Welling, Lisa affil: Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802 USA Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park USA su: Human sexuality Sexual intercourse Sexual excitement Female orgasm Fertilization (Biology) sug: subj: Human sexuality Sexual intercourse Sexual excitement Female orgasm Fertilization (Biology) keyword: Adaptation Byproduct Good-genes Mate choice Adaptation Byproduct Good-genes Mate choice ab: Whether women's orgasm is an adaptation is arguably the most contentious question in the study of the evolution of human sexuality. Indeed, this question is a veritable litmus test for adaptationism, separating those profoundly impressed with the pervasive and myriad correspondences between organisms' phenotypes and their conditions of life from those who apply the 'onerous concept' of adaptation with more caution, skepticism or suspicion. Yet, the adaptedness of female orgasm is a question whose answer will elucidate mating dynamics in humans and nonhuman primates. There are two broad competing explanations for the evolution of orgasm in women: (1) the mate-choice hypothesis, which states that female orgasm has evolved to function in mate selection and (2) the byproduct hypothesis, which states that female orgasm has no evolutionary function, existing only because women share some early ontogeny with men, in whom orgasm is an adaptation. We review evidence for these hypotheses and identify areas where relevant evidence is lacking. Although additional research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, we find that the mate-choice hypothesis receives more support. Specifically, female orgasm appears to have evolved to increase the probability of fertilization from males whose genes would improve offspring fitness. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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