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From: jnp@calmasd.GE.COM (John Pantone)
Newsgroups: soc.men,sci.bio
Subject: Re: Sexual selection
Message-ID: <2686@calmasd.GE.COM>
Date: 17 Mar 88 21:44:19 GMT
References: <1566@mmm.UUCP> <3138@arthur.cs.purdue.edu> <1164@microsoft.UUCP> <2402@saturn.ucsc.edu>
Organization: G.E.- Calma R&D, San Diego, CA
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> So dimorphism MAY be a result of direct female choice for big males
> but PROBABLY is more likely a result of the games males play with
> each other.
> 
> -----------
> Susan Nordmark
> Internet: kevin@chromo.UCSC.edu			
> UUCP: ...ucbvax!ucscc!chromo.kevin		Santa Cruz, CA 

I would guess this is at least partly true, but my feeling is that the
marked dimorphism  in humans is  the result of  physical adaptation to
social roles.  In  most  primitive societies (pre-agricultural)  women
are gatherers and men are hunters (and to a lesser extent women "hide"
with the children and men go out to confront  the "enemy").  The women
care for the children and gather food (the most reliable  food source)
and  men hunt  (less  reliable but  greater  quantities when  they are
successful).  The body forms of present day humans still  reflect this
adaptation rather well,  men are relatively  strong and "brawny",  but
tend toward  lower endurance, the women  are less muscular but tend to
be more able to carry out low-level activity for far longer than men.

Actually this endurance  thing  is extremely  interesting in   its own
right.  There   are  really only  2 animals  on   earth which  hunt by
out-enduring  (running down) their prey   - humans  and canines.  This
form  of  hunting is called  "Cursorial"  (runners) and relys  on  the
exceptional endurance  of humans and  dogs compared  to  virtually any
other animal.  So - the difference between the endurance of men versus
women is only relative.

Please - no flames - I am  well aware of the  fact that this is simply
an overall tendency - there are plenty  of "big" women and "small" men
but they are exceptions.
-- 
These opinions are solely mine and in no way reflect those of my employer.  
John M. Pantone @ GE/Calma R&D, 9805 Scranton Rd., San Diego, CA 92121
...{ucbvax|decvax}!sdcsvax!calmasd!jnp   jnp@calmasd.GE.COM   GEnie: J.PANTONE