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THE POWERFUL ROLE OF CHOICE IN EVOLUTION

INNOCENT OUKO, MD

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FEMALE CHOICE – IN A CLUB

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TO UNDERSTAND MATE CHOICE, PICTURE 10 MALES

  • THE FEMALES LIKE 3 OUT OF THE TEN
  • THESE THREE ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO GET TO MATE
  • SONS HAVE TRAITS SIMILAR TO THEIR FATHERS.
  • DAUGHTERS HAVE THE SAME PREFERENCES AS THEIR MOTHERS
  • THUS, CHOICE DETERMINES SPECIES FATES
  • ACTIVE > PASSIVE PARTICIPATION

Photo by Amanda Dalbjörn on Unsplash

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Club-winged Manakin

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CLUB-WINGED MANAKIN ANATOMY

Wings are shaped like clubs (rungu)

Pick and ribbed edges

Flap rate – 110/minute

The ulnar bones differ

Males – SOLID BONE!!!

Complete reversal of 150 million years of bone anatomy

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THE LONG-TAILED MANAKIN COURTSHIP

Video obtained from David Weiller’s Channel - Source

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HOSTILE TOOTH-BILLED BOWERBIRD

Image obtained from Ray Wilson’s Website - Source

Not a true bowerbird – most primitive

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Creates a stage & calls out the ladies

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Pounces on her as soon as they land

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Basically, forced copulation (‘bird rape’)

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THE PEACEFUL BOWERBIRDS

True bowerbirds create bowers

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Falsely thought to signal strength/capability/handicap

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Currently – protective role

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Females preferred the gentler male bowebirds

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NON-TERRITORIAL DUCKS

Fox et al. (2001), Nature

Skewed ratio - Males > Females

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Scarce resources

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Still, females pick their preferences

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Rejected males gang up….

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For forced copulation (basically ‘gang rape’)

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Not the case in territorial ducks

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CO-EVOLUTION OF MALE AND FEMALE DUCK GENITALIA

Brennan et. al, 2007

PLOS

Simple genitalia anatomies in territorial ducks

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Complex anatomies in non-territorial ones

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Females have preserved their autonomy:

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  1. Lengthy, windy vagina

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  • Clockwise vaginal rotation

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  • Cul-de-sacs/dead ends

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  • Drier mucosa

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PRIMATE INFANTICIDE

Male primates coerce females into submission

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They enforce their choice

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Females bend to their rule

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Dethroning the alpha comes with infanticide

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WHAT ABOUT HUMANS?

Gorillas, Baboons, Chimpanzees – use coercion

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Canine-honing mechanism of teeth

Men are practically ‘toothless’

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Women preferred beauty over brawn

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Less hairy, preserved masculinity, and gentle men

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BOTH MEN AND WOMEN ARE PICKY

Photo by Joshua Rawson-Harris on Unsplash

Photo by Ben Iwara on Unsplash

Ladies, would you choose such a guy?

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Men, would you be okay dating such a lady?

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From basic choice we’ve evolved pickiness

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WHAT ABOUT CHOICE?

Science doesn’t like choice interference

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Economics suffers from agentic choice

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What if electrons had feelings?

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Natural Selection undermines choice

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What if we focused on organisms?

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Organismal Selection uplifts choice

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LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX

Since people have trait preferences

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  1. Women can choose men

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  • Women have forced men to be more cooperative (evolution of gay couples?)

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  • Women have chosen pleasure (multiple-orgasms)

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  • Women can choose other women

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  • The evolution of the sperm bank

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THE THEORY OF ORGANISMAL SELECTION UPLIFTS CHOICE

ORGANISMS CHOOSE:

  1. NOT TO DIE
  2. TO PRESERVE VIABLE MERGERS
  3. WHEN TO SEVER MERGERS
  4. PLEASURE
  5. TO FIGHT OR FLEE

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

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Because it’s there!

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THANK YOU