From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!vestal
Newsgroups: net.women
Title: Re: MT's facts/opinions -- human sexual dimorphism
Article-I.D.: uw-beave.586
Posted: Thu May 12 09:28:14 1983
Received: Thu May 19 03:54:30 1983

Actually, I believe humans are supposed to be androgynous *relative to
most other mammals*.  It's natural for us to be highly attuned to
differences among individuals in our own species -- in fact, I believe
primates are noted for having broad individual differences in facial
structure precisely because of their social nature and the need to
visually distinguish individuals (as opposed to smelling their differences
as many other mammals do).  I believe the following to be true about
humans:
1 -- Female humans can be sexually receptive over long periods of time.
     In most mammals, the female is receptive only at estrus.
2 -- The difference in size between male and female humans is less
     than for many mammals (though certainly not all).
This certainly doesn't mean that the sexual responses of men and women
vary -- God knows they vary among individuals of the same sex!  On the
other hand, we're not so far apart once you get out of an anthropomorphic
view of things.  If you're curious, in addition to M&J there's always
"The Naked Ape" and "The Whisperings Within".