Evolution of Human Sexuality

Catalog description

Sexual reproduction has been shaped by two billion years of evolution. In the human lineage, we carry biological and behavioral remnants of this evolution, but our own reproductive behaviors and decisions are also influenced by the cultural context. Ecology and social life shape variation in mating patterns cross-culturally, including sexual behavior, marriage, attraction, mate choice, jealousy, paternity, disease transmission, contraception, and interpretations of gender. By drawing from evolutionary history, non-human primates, small-scale societies, and industrialized nations, this course will critically evaluate understandings of human sexual behavior and reproduction from an evolutionary perspective. Credit Hour s : 3 Recommended: Sophomore standing