rising@utzoo.uucp (Jim Rising) (02/05/88)
I suspect that rape during conquest was an important source of gene flow in human history. Whether or not it was "good for the species," of course, is presumably (barring group selection) irrelevant to the trait. I suspect that the probability of a male passing on his genes via forced cops. is slight, and dependent to a large degree on the uncertainty of paternity. I also suspect that it's an extension of "normal" copulatory behavior, and one in which the male rarely gains (in fitness), but has very little to lose. Much rape in modern society is clearly aberrant behavior, and maladptive. (Some seem to think that if we argue that some human behavior is adaptive that everything we do is adaptive. Celibacy and contraception are almost certainly maladptive, too. One also gets the impression that many netters would prefer not to understand the biological, psychological, or sociological bases for "rape." I would suppose that they find it more productive to paint slogans such as "STOP RAPE!" on the walls of public buildings--there's one on our campus. If that's what we're to do, let's hope it works!) --Jim Rising -- Name: Jim Rising Mail: Dept. Zoology, Univ. Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A1 UUCP: {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!rising