Posted by: rsr
Subject tags: society, sexuality, relationship, human behavior
on
Jan 8, 2009
I recently commented on Kelly's blog and it occurs to me that my comments might not fully embody my views on the subject. The topic involved covert infidelity and it is this subject that I want to address here.
I should begin by acknowledging that infidelity is built into our species (see this video and this one). Everything about the dimorphic human form indicates that Homo sapiens evolved in the context of polygamous or promiscuous reproductive strategies, and if one is not convinced by comparative morphology, one need only refer to behavioral statistics. Indeed, female humans average more sexual partners per lifetime than any other animal known (owing primarily to the skew from prostitution), and it is no secret that many male humans seek as many sexual partners as possible, regardless of marital status.
Posted by: rsr
Subject tags: psychology, human behavior, animals
on
Jan 6, 2009
On more occasions than I can enumerate, I have been asked the question: Why do you like those darn reptiles? Not wanting to appear irresolute, for many years I tried to answer the question in a way that presented an air of purpose. I might reply that their behavior is complex and fascinating, or that I wondered what it might be like to experience the world as a snake does, what with the challenges of lacking certain appendages. As a biologist with a special interest in and experience with reptiles, I could get pretty specific about why I find those otherworldly vertebrates interesting, but are those reasons, however erudite, really why I am especially attracted to reptiles?
Why not birds? I find them quite agreeable, even fascinating. Indeed, as a young man I spent countless hours watching birds and I even built up a “life list” of over 300 species. Why not mammals? I like them too, though I find them rather messy and stinky. Still, there is something about a wild wolverine or a mongoose that piques my curiosity, and I am pretty fond of bats and wild cats, too. How about fishes? I have quite a lot of experience with that branch of the Vertebrata, too. As an undergraduate, I worked in a fish systematics lab for 3 ½ years, and since that time my research has included fish behavior. And what about invertebrates and plants? I really like those organisms, too.
American dietitians, sex therapists, animal rights advocates, and social anthropologists gave a collective horrified gasp last week when Burger King announced their new body spray for men - Flame. Described as "the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat", the Burger King welcomes us to his castle sporting all the furry creepiness of Ron Jeremy, tenderly draped in dead animals, loin enhanced by a strategically placed and potentially phallic fire.
