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Sex differences are insufficient evidence of ecological adaptations in human females

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 July 2022

Toe Aung ,
Sojung Baek  and
David Puts Open the ORCID record for David Puts [Opens in a new window]
Toe Aung
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA txa96@psu.edu sjbaek1871@psu.edu dap27@psu.edu https://beel.la.psu.edu/
Sojung Baek
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA txa96@psu.edu sjbaek1871@psu.edu dap27@psu.edu https://beel.la.psu.edu/
David Puts
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA txa96@psu.edu sjbaek1871@psu.edu dap27@psu.edu https://beel.la.psu.edu/
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Abstract

Benenson et al. postulate that human females evolved unique survival adaptations to facilitate maternal and grandmaternal care. This hypothesis is consistent with the broader hypothesis that female phenotypes are more ecologically optimal, but further evidence is needed to make a compelling case that sex differences in self-protection are not primarily the result of more intense sexual selection on males.

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Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 45 , 2022 , e130
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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