Reviews for Natural History of Sex The Ecology and Evolution of Mating Behavior

The average rating for Natural History of Sex The Ecology and Evolution of Mating Behavior based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-01-03 00:00:00 Kristin Godbehere The unsexy side of sex is presented here as natural science writer and biodiversity scientist Adrian Forsyth reveals the weird diversity of sexual behavior in insects, fish, and mammals from whales to rabbits. Even in nature, there is rape, transvestites, orgasm, incest, love 'em and leave 'em types, and males who literally leech onto females. This collection of essays covers everything from attraction to competition to fertilization, highlighting real species that have the ability to change their sex, who compete for mates, and who murder their mates. Each essay begins with some anecdote and includes quirky facts about exploding genitals, testicle size and its relationship to sperm production, species that die in or after the act of mating, and pheromones. The theme that we are all connected governs the collection. Forsyth recommends that we only look at life around us to discover why humans act the way they do. An essay titled Milk and Honey discusses the impact of fat on reproduction, and why specific percentages of body fat in female animals are required for reproduction, just as human females require specific percentages of body fat for menarche, pregnancy, and nursing. An essay on natural abortion in plants leads to a discussion of genocide in cultures around the world. Quotes from leaders in the field such as Darwin and Gould abound, demonstrating the interdependence of the scientific community. The bibliography is divided by chapter into a further reading appendix, and the index is extremely complete. A great supplement to biology or psychology textbooks, students interested in natural history will enjoy browsing the essays, or reading the book as a whole. Especially recommended for students considering going into the field of biology or animal behavior, this is a strong addition for public, high school, and college library collections.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-03-12 00:00:00 Sydney Edwards A curious and quirky little book looking at the diversity of sexual behaviors and adaptations throughout the breadth of life and delving into the biological and physiological reasons for their existence and/or persistence. Although examples are drawn from animals great and small the majority of cases cited are centered around invertebrates of various dispositions, both because they exhibit the widest variety of mating systems and because (I assume) of the ease of studying an animal with a short generation time. Chapters each explore an encompassing facet of sexual reproduction, from sperm competition to role reversal, including some more morally challenging topics like abortion/infanticide and incest. Each chapter brings one or more examples to the table and explores why/how such a system might benefit the organisms discussed, and then toward the end applies the reasoning to human systems where applicable. Of course virtually all of the human-related discussion is theoretical, but it still makes good brain food. At nearly 10 years old some of the theories are starting to show their age, but it's a good (and fairly quick) peek into the complexities of sexual reproduction.