Promiscuous Ancestors
Is casual sex an evolutionary hazard? What are the evolutionary roots of desire?
This week's article on sexuality and desire looks at the evolutionary roots of desire, especially when it comes to the illicit affair. Yes, our forefathers and mothers did it too. Our ancestral brothers would most likely have been more motivated to do it with more than one partner than our ancestral sisters- the primordial urge to survive has implanted a forceful desire in men to be with a variety of women. And while women are traditionally much less interested in being with a variety of partners, there must have been at least a few ancestral sisters to oblige, perhaps in return for some extra food or shelter.
Studies show that modern men and women are much like their ancestral brothers and sisters. If women are considering a potential lover, the one quality they look for is generosity. Studies also show that men's desire to be with more than one partner is alive and well. Billy Crystal said it well: "Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place."
In the article , this difference between men and women is referred to as the Coolidge Effect. The story goes that President Calvin Coolidge and his wife were given separate tours of new government farms. When Mrs. Coolidge passed the chicken coups, she noticed a rooster robustly copulating with a hen. She asked the guide how often the rooster did this. The guide answered: "Dozens of times a day". "Make sure you mention this to the President", replied Mrs. Coolidge. When the President passed by the coops and was informed about the rooster's performance, he asked the guide: "Always with the same hen?" "Oh, no", the guide replied. "Always a different hen". "Make sure you mention that to Mrs. Coolidge" said the President!
