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from the am-I-going-to-regret-releasing-this? dept.
EurekAlert have just published an article: Yale researchers shed light on evolutionary mystery: Origins of the female orgasm
The role of female orgasm, which plays no obvious role in human reproduction, has intrigued scholars as far back as Aristotle. Numerous theories have tried to explain the origins of the trait, but most have concentrated on its role in human and primate biology.
[...] Since there is no apparent association between orgasm and number of offspring or successful reproduction in humans, the scientists focused on a specific physiological trait that accompanies human female orgasm -- the neuro-endocrine discharge of prolactin and oxytocin -- and looked for this activity in other placental mammals. They found that in many mammals this reflex plays a role in ovulation.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by VLM on Monday August 01 2016, @07:04PM
which plays no obvious role in human reproduction
Said some guy whose not getting much, I bet.
Can't it just be as simple as preferential mating based on empathy and dexterity (depending how you do it?). The old "if momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy" combined with here's a guy who has at least some minimal level of dexterity or flexibility skills. And patience.
Even the time investment might be some kind of evolutionary devotion test, so a guy who puts in some extra work now might be the kind of guy who brings home more bacon later for the kid, overachiever mentality and all that?
Its something you kinda gotta learn how to do, its a bit of an IQ test.
That's all assuming the woman has any input in who uses her, and its not just who's the fastest strongest guy who's not otherwise busy with a different woman. But even if she doesn't select her mate and is chill with that, her going on the prowl to follow an enjoyable guy around is probably good for her and her offspring because an ongoing relationship with the strongest fastest guy she can get is likely to feed her and the kids the best.
I like the patience argument. Best hunter/fisher is patient, this seems self evident. Unclear what the social arrangement was like in the old days but probably not much beyond "ug see hole, ug use hole" and something to encourage patience sounds like great evolutionary idea.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 01 2016, @07:42PM
>Can't it just be as simple as preferential mating based on ...
It can't, because counterexample. The regions with 90%+ prevalence of "woman circumcision" (aka cutting the clit out) do enjoy world's highest birth rates.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 01 2016, @07:52PM
The flaw in your counter: those countries also have the highest death rates, which supports the point VLM made.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 01 2016, @09:53PM
>those countries also have the highest death rates
Which are totally irrelevant. Natural selection is all about absolute number of live offspring reaching adulthood. How many others had to die to maximize that number, means less than nothing to Mother Nature.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by kurenai.tsubasa on Tuesday August 02 2016, @02:37AM
Well… if we'd implement the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation (2010 iirc) to legalize female circumcision in the US, we might be able to Correct the Record on the safety of female circumcision. I already calculated that routine male genital mutilation is a hundreds of millions of dollars per year industry. Just think, we could increase those profits double! $$$$! ka-ching!… er… I ain't got nothin but karma to burn.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 01 2016, @07:43PM
And yet women can orgasm with a dildo that isn't empathetic at all.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday August 01 2016, @08:04PM
They reached the "give an explanation" level, not yet the "give an orgasm" one.
They are still learning, though... one step at a time... maybe they'll finally get it by the age of 60 and a whole pile of published material... imagine the satisfaction at the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford