ROBIN BAKER

Human Sperm Competition

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CRITICISM (coming soon)

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English only (still in print)

Human Sperm Competition: Copulation, masturbation and infidelity


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Since the 1970s, behavioural ecologists and evolutionary biologists have been fascinated by the biological implications of sperm from different males competing for fertilization of the egg in the female reproductive tract. But until Human Sperm Competition there had never been a discussion of the phenomenon for the human species in book form, despite its relevance for a full understanding of human reproduction.

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The book is a pioneering analysis of the behavioural ecology of human sexuality, proposing that all aspects have been shaped by the phenomenon of sperm competition. In the first half of the book the authors explore the role of sperm competition in the evolution of human sexual characteristics, considering for example the architecture of the female reproductive tract, the reasons for male and female infidelity and the possible biological reasons for homosexuality, masturbation and orgasm.
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In the second half, the mechanism of sperm competition is evaluated in detail, together with the evidence for and the implications of the authors’ own Kamikaze Sperm Hypothesis. This book sets out the thesis that an evolutionary approach to human sexual behaviour, comparing this with the animal behaviour studies, can give important clues to the problems of human fertility.
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