Promiscuity: Difference between revisions

Female promiscuity is also referred to as [[cock carousel]].

Fruit fly semen contains a chemical that acts as an anti-aphrodisiac on the female, so as to prevent her from mating with other males, as well as other chemicals that increase egg production rate in the females and other chemicals that incapacitate rival sperm.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/37713987_Promiscuity_An_Evolutionary_History_of_Sperm_Competition</ref> This is an example of the effects of sexual promiscuity on sexual conflict; we can in the instance of these fruit flies that males can evolve adaptations that increase their reproductive success at the expense of the female. In such instances females would evolve adaptions so as to defend herself against these harmful adaptations in males. In experiments were this co-evolution was halted in female fruit flies, males evolved sperm that became progressively more damaging to females.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/14577325_Sexually_Antagonistic_Male_Adaptation_Triggered_by_Experimental_Arrest_of_Female_Evolution</ref> Interestingly in experiments were monogamy was enforced in fruit flies (so as the reproductive interests of the male and female converged) the semen in males became decreasingly toxic to females and males became less agressive.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/13078846_Experimental_Removal_of_Sexual_Selection_Reverses_Intersexual_Antagonistic_Coevolution_and_Removes_a_Reproductive_Load?_sg=ikVRCHgbGfYIljl7vHPW1tskYZqq-sA4_oniK_iVvugEtVwCy0UTQHxM7E_3O_XfAedOFiCBgnomAHA</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11963523_Males%27_evolutionary_response_to_experimental_removal_of_sexual_selection?_sg=sPIaQEaxUKzg2UflE40fTFtbnEhMfijBhw-v9QJztX3NvBJGJiROIwOL4GnNM5Gkqhx1nXenmxOOeqI</ref> Interestingly, reproductive output (thus reproductive success) was greater than what it was when sperm competition was present. This demonstrates that when lifelong sexual monogamy is implemented, the reproductive interests of males and females converge (as they share offspring) and behaviours that are developed in one sex that are harmful to the other are selected against. Similiarly, it would be in the interests of humans to enforce lifelong monogamy (serial monogamy through divorce and remarriage is essentially promiscuity vertically across time rather than horizontally in the present) so as to discourage the development harmful behaviours in either sex against the other (like rape).