Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior
eBook - PDF

Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior

About this book

Few things come more naturally to us than sex—or so it would seem. Yet to a chimpanzee, the sexual practices and customs we take for granted would appear odd indeed. He or she might wonder why we bother with inconveniences like clothes, why we prefer to make love on a bed, and why we fuss so needlessly over privacy. Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior invites us into the thought-experiment of imagining human sex from the vantage point of our primate cousins, in order to underscore the role of evolution in shaping all that happens, biologically and behaviorally, when romantic passions are aroused.

Peter Gray and Justin Garcia provide an interdisciplinary synthesis that draws on the latest discoveries in evolutionary theory, genetics, neuroscience, comparative primate research, and cross-cultural sexuality studies. They are our guides through an exploration of the patterns and variations that exist in human sexuality, in chapters covering topics ranging from the evolution of sex differences and reproductive physiology to the origins of sexual play, monogamous unions, and the facts and fictions surrounding orgasm.

Intended for generally curious readers of all stripes, this up-to-date, one-volume survey of the evolutionary science of human sexual behavior explains why sexuality has remained a core fascination of human beings throughout time and across cultures.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription.
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn more here.
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
  • Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
  • Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Both plans are available with monthly, semester, or annual billing cycles.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1 million books across 1000+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn more here.
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more here.
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS or Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior by Peter B. Gray,Justin R. Garcia in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Biological Sciences & Human Sexuality in Psychology. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Contents
  2. Preface
  3. 1. The Evolution of Sex, Sex Differences, and Human Sexuality
  4. 2. The Garden of Variety: Cross-Cultural Variation in Human Sexuality
  5. 3. Love and Maybe Marriage: Patterns of Pair-Bonding and Romantic Love
  6. 4. Raising Human Sexuality: Processes of Sex Differentiation and Sociosexual Expression
  7. 5. Playing at Sex: Learning, Practicing, and Developing Sociosexual Behavior in Context
  8. 6. Welcome to the Party: Puberty and Adolescent Sexual Development
  9. 7. Kinsey Takes Anatomy Class: Human Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology within Evolutionary Perspective
  10. 8. Turning the Key: Human Sexual Response and Orgasm
  11. 9. The Evolution of Baby Making: Mechanisms of Fertility, Infertility, and Variation in Fertility Outcomes
  12. 10. Born to Be Less Wild: Peripartum Shifts in Human Sexuality
  13. 11. The Sands of Time: Aging and Sexuality
  14. 12. Sexual Revolutions: Contemporary Human Sexual Practices
  15. Acknowledgments
  16. References
  17. Index