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From: scm@gtx.com (Sue Miller)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,soc.men,soc.women,sci.misc
Subject: Re: Rape a reproductive advantage?
Message-ID: <520@gtx.com>
Date: 10 Jan 88 17:25:08 GMT
References: <517@gtx.com> <5129@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Reply-To: scm@gtx.UUCP (Sue Miller)
Distribution: na
Organization: GTX Corporation, Phoenix, Arizona
Lines: 62

Keith Doyle wrote:

>>>I expect there's an evolutionary advantage.  Rapists probably reproduce
>>>better than non-rapists.
>>>
>>>Keith Doyle

I responded:

>>   Not really.  Not unless you intend "non-rapists" to mean ONLY those
>>individuals who otherwise have no other way to pass on their DNA.
>>Otherwise, if it were an advantage that increased one's fitness (a la
>>Darwin, not Jack LaLanne ;-) ) I would certainly expect it to be exhibited
>>more frequently.
>>  As it is, I am not sure that rape as we humans know it
>>even exists in any other species - although the example of cricket sexual
>>behavior comes close I guess....

David Palmer rejoins:

>[Prurient description of the sex life of crickets ommitted at the
> request of Ed Meese]
>
>Any statement which says "Humans (or Western Europeans etc.) are the only
>species (people etc.) which do [some evil thing]" are usually wrong.
>Rape among ducks is well documented.  (The female duck does NOT want to
>be raped, the male duck uses force.)  When this happens, the husband of the
>raped duck immediately rapes his wife, to reduce the chances of being
>genetically cuckolded.

Now I reply:

   No, this is not exactly what I had in mind when I mentioned rape
in the human community.  BTW, in spite of your implication to the contrary -
I did not say that "humans are the only species which rape".  That is quite
clear from the text of my earlier message.  

   In any case, your "duck" example could be completely explained in the
context of fitness && competition.  It is to the female duck's advantage
to choose her mates, and to her chosen mate's advantage to try to repair
the "genetic damage" that has been done by an interloper.  Incidentally,
you seemed to use the term "rape" as synonymous with "intercourse". 

   In the human community, it is easy to show plus beaucoup instances
where a male has sexually violated a female WHERE THERE WAS NO POSSIBILITY
OF THIS UNION BEING FERTILE.  This is what I'm getting at when I say that
rape seems to be confined to humans (although I am not completely certain).

   So, now I ask --- can anyone give me a documented example of rape 
(other than by a human) in the animal kingdom.  I am looking for an
example where the sexual act is intended solely for the infliction of
pain, harassment, to terrorize the victim, etc.  Note that it would be
extremely interesting if said act was perpetrated on an individual that
was not capable of reproduction (eg. infant, small child, individual past
reproductive age).   Something like that might help convince me that 
rape exists elsewhere besides among members of H. sapiens.


-- 
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 |  Sue Miller         UUCP: ihnp4!sun!sunburn!gtx!scm |
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