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Just off the cuff... Pregnant women have sex because rewiring women to NOT want sex while pregnant would be evolutionarily pointless, not to mention sex is use

Just off the cuff... Pregnant women have sex because rewiring women to NOT want sex while pregnant would be evolutionarily pointless, not to mention sex is used to bond male partners. Likewise, sex after menopause. Women still seek shelter from males post-menopause and also want males around for their children and grandchildren's sake. Men's instincts do not have the abstract concept of "infertile" if a woman appears otherwise sexually appealing. I'm skeptical of the idea that 50% of young people identifying as bisexual, but if there is truth to this, I imagine that it is largely females who identify this way. And bonding between females is likely to strengthen the 'herd'. Men's instincts do not have the abstract concept of sperm banks. Even if they did, men are also selective in where they deposit their sperm, and in any case are largely motivated to reproduce through sexual desire. If sperm banks were the only way we reproduced, then we'd have evolved a desire for that. The idea that there are any humans on Earth that aren't closely genetically related is absurd... As for monogamy, it's a rational response on the part of males who want to be sure they are the father of their mate's children and who want a better mating opportunities than they might have if it was winner-take-all. Obviously, I'm not sure of the veracity of any of these, but I think it's fairly simple to explain most of these from an evolutionary point of view. I think it is a mistake to assume that because the rational part of our brain can grasp more efficient ways to spread our genes (e.g. sperm banks), that we must therefore do that if we are wired to spread our genes. The parts of our brains wired that way aren't quite that literal and probably haven't had time to catch up with those concepts.

kasperni 10y ago
But then why is it that its pretty much only bonobo apes and humans where this "rewiring" hasn't taken place? Some apes kill other apes offspring when they take over a group. Others don't. Some animals such as gibbons and bald eagles mate for life, but most animals are not monogamous. If evolution principles were so hardwired you would probably expect them to universally
- cgriswald 10y ago
  Your question seems along the lines of "if beaks are so successful, why don't all species have beaks?" All animals are the way they are because of a combination of random mutation and environmental pressure. If a trait is successful in one species, it doesn't mean it will occur in another species. If it does occur in another species, it won't necessarily be reproductively beneficial depending on environment and other factors specific to the speices, so may not ever become a generalized part of the species.

kasperni 10y ago

But then why is it that its pretty much only bonobo apes and humans where this "rewiring" hasn't taken place? Some apes kill other apes offspring when they take over a group. Others don't. Some animals such as gibbons and bald eagles mate for life, but most animals are not monogamous. If evolution principles were so hardwired you would probably expect them to universally

cgriswald 10y ago
Your question seems along the lines of "if beaks are so successful, why don't all species have beaks?" All animals are the way they are because of a combination of random mutation and environmental pressure. If a trait is successful in one species, it doesn't mean it will occur in another species. If it does occur in another species, it won't necessarily be reproductively beneficial depending on environment and other factors specific to the speices, so may not ever become a generalized part of the species.