Top Evolution Stories Part 3

WHY IS THE WORLD SO OBSESSED WITH SEX?

Do you remember the night you went to sleep as a child and were rudely awakened in the middle of puberty? Amidst the inexorable changes Nature was forcing on your body, there was something flooding your body, making you rebellious and moody. Yes, the uncontrollable adolescent hormones were wrecking havoc with your psyche, and the most important change they made was to make you more aware of the one thing that all parents dread having to talk about – sex.

If we are to look at evolution with a single-minded point of view, and ask the question “What is the purpose of evolution?”, the answer is stark. Reproduction. From a Darwinian point of view, sex is more important than life itself. But why is it such a big deal? Why is it so important, and what is all the hullabaloo about?

At first glance, sex seems extremely cumbersome to be bothered with. There is the stress of having to find a mate, and it can be extremely time-consuming and exhausting. But A recent study by National Geographic Magazine found the reason for the hype (or at least one of them!). Sex has been found to lead to faster evolution. Using yeast as model organisms, this research proved without a doubt, that in times of stress, organisms that can reproduce sexually have a definite advantage over those who reproduce clonally. Why this happens is still unclear, though genetic variation has been cited the top contender for this debate.

PBS Houston has an incredible series on Evolution, and this is the preview to the episode themed “Why Sex?”

Today, two main theories remain as to why sexual reproduction is more advantageous than asexual reproduction, and why it exists at all.

 

First, the deleterious mutation hypothesis, proposed by Alexey Kondrashov, was the idea that sex exists to purge a species of damaging genetic mutations. The second was the Red Queen Hypothesis, proposed by Leigh Van Valen of the University of Chicago. The hypothesis is simple: sex is needed to fend off disease and keep healthy.

These questions lead to further, even more interesting, social ones. One that has been widely asked is if love is an evolutionary tactic as well. There has not been, and perhaps cannot be any research on the matter. In the same PBS series that I have mentioned above, here is an excerpt on the subject:

“Ask any peahen what she wants in a mate, and you're likely to get the same answer: eye-popping, elegant plumage. A peacock not equipped with a set of big, provocative tail feathers is doomed to a frustrating sex life. Peahens always pick well-endowed suitors over drab ones, and biologists see the evolutionary logic behind it -- healthy birds, with showy feathers, are likely to father healthy offspring.

But ask any person what she or he wants in a mate, and the range of answers is bewildering. "A kind heart." "Great legs." "Someone who loves kayaking." Yet some scientists in a field called evolutionary psychology propose that we all share instinctive preferences, and that what we humans find alluring in a mate is rooted in our evolutionary past.”

What are your thoughts on the this debate? I would like to end today’s session leaving you with this: