Evolutionary advantages of rape in a species

[Shuddhasattva]

Thing is, you'll also observe ducks engaging in "foreplay." They're more sensible about their mating than, say, chickens - where the rooster pretty much pounces, pounds, and trots off.

You'll see ducks rubbing their heads/necks together.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

I'd suggest that the presence of mirror neurons is deeply correlated with empathy.

 

[Alceste]

Lol. xD

But in all seriousness, the "the victim is on trial" mentality is really, really flawed, disgusting, and sick. I do not advocate or condone rape, I am simply pondering if it has any evolutionary advantages in non-human animals, as some species have evolved around avoiding rape or more successfully raping.

Though I'm pretty sure that the duck in question was forced because the girl ducks try to get away.

OK, in all seriousness, the reproductive interests of the male and female of any given species are not always in sync. Generally speaking, the male must ensure sexual access to females in order to pass on his genes, so it's logical that a large variety of strategies and behaviors to increase his mating opportunities would evolve over time. The female's interest is in producing strong, viable offspring, so it is to her advantage that she be able to choose the strongest, or prettiest, or most intelligent mate (or whatever it is that turns on duck ladies) from a variety of competitors. Forced copulation, while it may expand the male's opportunity to breed, has an adverse effect on the strength and viability of the female's offspring, as it denies her the ability to do her part for evolution and select the most appealing (to her) mate.

So, the females who have magic duck vaginas that reject rapist duck sperm are more successful at breeding strong, viable offspring than the females who don't, because they are selecting their mates. At the same time, the male ducks who have wily penises that can navigate the magical twisting duck vaginas are more successful at breeding than those that don't, because they are bypassing the filter of sexual selection. And so it goes.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Would frubal again if I could.

 

[Me Myself]

<yawn> silly goose </yawn>

You yawning? *yawn* This is so new *yawn*

 

[Me Myself]

Gorillas rape too. Even more, various species of primates have tried to rape human women o.o

 

[Alceste]

Gorillas rape too. Even more, various species of primates have tried to rape human women o.o

Chimpanzees eat baby chimpanzees. What's your point?

 

[Mathematician]

I think you're trying to anthropomorphize other species. Applying human morals to animals tends to produce conclusions that are nonsensical.

Male lions will kill the cubs of a different male to establish his dominance. In many insect species the female will kill the male after mating. It's just how these species operate.

 

[Alceste]

I think you're trying to anthropomorphize other species. Applying human morals to animals tends to produce conclusions that are nonsensical.

Male lions will kill the cubs of a different male to establish his dominance. In many insect species the female will kill the male after mating. It's just how these species operate.

Yup. Frubals.

 

[Iti oj]

Rape would be bad for humans considering the long time and energy involved in child rearing. Also just because something evolved and works does not mean it has advantages just that it worked.

 

[Me Myself]

Chimpanzees eat baby chimpanzees. What's your point?

No point, just giving more data something I found curious xD

 

[jasonwill2]

Well... I must say this is all fairly interesting.

I think you're trying to anthropomorphize other species. Applying human morals to animals tends to produce conclusions that are nonsensical.

Male lions will kill the cubs of a different male to establish his dominance. In many insect species the female will kill the male after mating. It's just how these species operate.

Who are you talking to? The only reason I said I wouldn't give my opinion on it in the first post was that I wanted to avoid being jumped all over by those trying to apply morality to "lesser" animals and condemning me for not thinking it was sick when it is an animal behavior.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Well... I must say this is all fairly interesting.

Not really. :no:

 

[jasonwill2]

Not really. :no:

Animal behavior is not interesting?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Animal behavior is not interesting?

I was focusing more on your behavior - spefically, the silly attempt at being coy and provocative. It's a real sleeper ...

 

[Iti oj]

Rape would be bad for humans considering the long time and energy involved in child rearing. Also just because something evolved and works does not mean it has advantages just that it worked.

Also if all children are reares by femals and humans can be conditioned this would get quickly conditiond out. Shamless plug.

 

[Father Heathen]

Chimpanzees eat baby chimpanzees. What's your point?

*Puts on apron and chef's hat* What do you mean "What's your point?"?

 

[LegionOnomaMoi]

Forced copulation, while it may expand the male's opportunity to breed, has an adverse effect on the strength and viability of the female's offspring, as it denies her the ability to do her part for evolution and select the most appealing (to her) mate.

Unfortunately, as evolutionary strategies are neither proximal nor are they dominated by the selection of traits preferred by one gender, if rape is actually an adaptive mechanism for creating offspring and has a genetic basis in terms of predisposition to engage in this behavior, then males who successfully ensured their genetic code was passed on through forced copulation are increasing the probability that this mechanism will either increase (relative to others) in a given species or at least persist.

However, as evolutionary psychology is so plagued with difficulties, studies on human sexuality like Thornhill & Palmer's A Natural History of Rape are met with not only hostility, but with contradictory arguments sometimes based on the same data. The problem of "just so" stories about the strategies of traits which are not just phenotypic, but are psycho-social, is that for any given results of some study there are a number of often conflicting possible explanations. This is especially true for humans, who live in societies so removed from that within which they evolved, but expaining behavioral traits in social animals in general can suffer from such methodological difficulties.

 

[jasonwill2]

I was focusing more on your behavior - spefically, the silly attempt at being coy and provocative. It's a real sleeper ...

I never attempted such a thing, you are reading too much into it. And please stop flame baiting my posts all over the forums, it's getting quite old.

Unfortunately, as evolutionary strategies are neither proximal nor are they dominated by the selection of traits preferred by one gender, if rape is actually an adaptive mechanism for creating offspring and has a genetic basis in terms of predisposition to engage in this behavior, then males who successfully ensured their genetic code was passed on through forced copulation are increasing the probability that this mechanism will either increase (relative to others) in a given species or at least persist.

However, as evolutionary psychology is so plagued with difficulties, studies on human sexuality like Thornhill & Palmer's A Natural History of Rape are met with not only hostility, but with contradictory arguments sometimes based on the same data. The problem of "just so" stories about the strategies of traits which are not just phenotypic, but are psycho-social, is that for any given results of some study there are a number of often conflicting possible explanations. This is especially true for humans, who live in societies so removed from that within which they evolved, but expaining behavioral traits in social animals in general can suffer from such methodological difficulties.

Good post, however I wonder why such theories are often met with such extreme hostility. I guess the subject matter makes people uncomfortable

 

[Alceste]

Unfortunately, as evolutionary strategies are neither proximal nor are they dominated by the selection of traits preferred by one gender, if rape is actually an adaptive mechanism for creating offspring and has a genetic basis in terms of predisposition to engage in this behavior, then males who successfully ensured their genetic code was passed on through forced copulation are increasing the probability that this mechanism will either increase (relative to others) in a given species or at least persist.

However, as evolutionary psychology is so plagued with difficulties, studies on human sexuality like Thornhill & Palmer's A Natural History of Rape are met with not only hostility, but with contradictory arguments sometimes based on the same data. The problem of "just so" stories about the strategies of traits which are not just phenotypic, but are psycho-social, is that for any given results of some study there are a number of often conflicting possible explanations. This is especially true for humans, who live in societies so removed from that within which they evolved, but expaining behavioral traits in social animals in general can suffer from such methodological difficulties.

Evolutionary rape hypotheses are met with hostility because, after centuries of subhuman status in Western civilization and a tenuous re-establishment of our full rights and privileges as human beings, we (IOW,women and the men who care about us) are hypervigilant against any argument that smacks of a rationalization or justification of the perpetuation of the abuse of women.

I never attempted such a thing, you are reading too much into it. And please stop flame baiting my posts all over the forums, it's getting quite old.

Good post, however I wonder why such theories are often met with such extreme hostility. I guess the subject matter makes people uncomfortable

Yes, it does make people "uncomfortable". Not just those of us who are suspicious that someone might be trying to rationalize sexual assault, but also those of us with a secret desire to sexually assault others. That's pretty much everyone.