Thursday, May 13, 2010
Male physical competition, not attraction, was central in winning mates among human ancestors, according to a Penn State anthropologist. "There is sexual competition in many species, including humans," said David A. Puts, assistant professor of biological anthropology. Many researchers have considered mate choice the main operator in human sexual selection. They thought that people's mating success was mainly determined by attractiveness; but for men, it appears that physical competition among males was more important. Puts sees humans as similar to many of the apes in using male competition to determine access to mates, the winning male choosing the women of his dreams. (more)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The thickness of their vocal cords determines how deep their voices are, explained David Puts, assistant professor of biological anthropology. His research has revealed that women are attracted to deeper voices. (more)
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
A renowned Penn State biological anthropologist, Kenneth Weiss, joins an international team of evolution experts in response to a basic question: How did Charles Darwin's seminal book "On the Origin of Species" influence science and society during the last 150 years? Their interviews and essays are part of a new online report Evolution of Evolution: 150 Years of Darwin's On the Origin of Species, created by the National Science Foundation. The interactive multimedia feature celebrates the author's 200th birthday on Feb. 12 and the upcoming anniversary of the book, which will be 150 years old on Nov. 24. (more)
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Genetic diseases and genetically mixed populations can help researchers understand human diversity and human origins according to a Penn State physical anthropologist. "We wanted to get to a strategy to predict what a face will look like," said Mark D. Shriver, associate professor of biological anthropology. "We want to understand the path of evolution that leads to that part of the selection process." To pinpoint genes that influence the shape of the human face and head, Shriver began with an online database of genes linked to disease -- Online Mendelian Inheritance of Man. (more)
