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The Evolving Female: A Life History Perspective
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females and its implications for female mate choice, particularly where females may prefer males who act as ‘‘bodyguards’’ to themselves and their young. These ideas are then discussed in the light of human behaviour in a third chapter by Wilson & Mesnick. The latter use data collected by telephone questionnaire to test theories relating to sexual coercion and choice of partners as ‘‘bodyguards’’. Thoughtful discussions of issues raised by these and other papers are found in the chapters by Maynard Smith and Waage & Gowaty, both of which discuss the question of genetic determinism and the mistaken belief that those who believe that evolution may shape behaviour are also genetic determinists. Teachers of social science courses (e.g., Women’s Studies or Social Anthropology) may find that some of the less biological chapters will serve as useful introductions to a variety of feminist perspectives on biological interpretations of behaviour. Using these chapters in conjunction with some of the more empirical studies will provide an excellent stimulus for debate and discussion in interdisciplinary courses. It is unlikely that you will read this book without vehemently disagreeing with several of the authors—in fact anyone who could read the whole book without doing so would either have no opinions at all, or would be capable of holding several contradictory viewpoints simultaneously. There were several chapters that seriously annoyed me, and drove me to sit snorting ‘‘Rubbish’’ and ‘‘What is she on about?’’, and at least one chapter which seemed (to me) to be complete gibberish, but equally, there were others with which I could agree with all or part of the content. Giving two or more chapters with different positions to students to read is likely to provoke debate and criticism of the papers involved. This book will be a useful addition to libraries and to the bookshelves of individual academics
involved in cross-disciplinary teaching involving feminism and women’s issues. D C R Roehampton Institute of London School of Life Sciences doi:10.1006/jhev.1999.0374
The Evolving Female: A Life History Perspective Edited by M. E. Morbeck, A. Galloway & A. L. Zihlman (1997). Princeton: Princeton University Press. 344 pp. $48.00. ISBN 0 691 02748 X. Understanding life history evolution and its influence on social structures and behaviour has been a major part of evolutionary biology since MacArthur and Wilson published their seminal book Island Biogeography in 1967. In the 20 chapters of this volume the evolution of female life histories is considered from a number of diverse perspectives. The main part of the book concentrates on a comparative and evolutionary approach to primate (particularly human) life histories, but there are also chapters on sea-lions and elephants. For humans, both ecological and cultural aspects of life histories are discussed, with several chapters using case studies to examine and illustrate theories and ideas. The six parts of the book are ‘‘Perspectives in life history’’ (with two chapters giving overviews of the ways in which life history evolution has been and is studied); ‘‘Mammals’’ (two chapters on sea-lions and elephants); ‘‘Primates’’; ‘‘Anatomy, physiology and variation in catarrhines’’; ‘‘Women in human societies’’, and ‘‘Life history, females and evolution’’. I will not attempt to discuss all the 20 chapters here, but instead will mention some that were of particular interest to me. Most of the chapters are essentially review papers and, as such, are extremely useful to anyone trying to familiarize themselves with 2000 Academic Press
the work of the authors and their colleagues. For example, Draper’s chapter on gender roles in the !Kung examines data on behaviour collected over 20 years. This broad perspective allows Draper to compare patterns of behaviour as the life of the !Kung changed from being primarily huntergathering to that of sedentary food production. Draper’s work can be compared with the work of Morelli on the Efe and Lese presented in the previous chapter, and with the chapter by Hiraiwa-Hasagawa on the development of sex differences in nonhuman primates. These chapters emphasize the importance of looking at behaviour in its ecological and social context if one is to understand intraspecific and interspecific variation in gender roles. On another topic entirely, Caroline Pond summarizes her important and original studies on adipose tissue, work that uses the comparative method to study the anatomy and physiology of adipose tissue in order to test theories on the evolution of fat distribution in humans. Pond’s chapter is followed by a discussion of the role of critical levels of fat in women’s reproduction (by Robin MacFarland) and is complemented by this and other chapters that look at the energetic demands of reproduction in Nepal (Catherine Panter-Brick) and the evolution of women’s bodies (Adrienne Zihlman). Several authors start their chapters by giving a brief personal history that outlines the reasons why they started their research. This provides an insight into the backgrounds of the authors and their motivations, something that is always interesting and valuable, particularly for students who are thinking about starting a career in research. The main omission from this book is any detailed discussion of life history theory and models of life history evolution. Although work by leading researchers such as Eric Charnov and Stephen Stearns are
603
mentioned in some chapters it was surprising not to find a section (or at least a chapter) discussing these models and their implications for female life histories. As with any multi-authored, edited volume, there are occasional inconsistencies and repetition of some ideas, but generally the editing appears to have produced a consistent style and good integration of the material. The bibliography is extensive and the index useful, although an author index would have been helpful. The level of writing is appropriate for undergraduates, or others without a specialized interest in the topics covered; little prior knowledge is assumed. In summary, this book would make a welcome addition to any academic library providing a useful resource for staff and students studying a wide range of topics. D C R Roehampton Institute of London School of Life Sciences doi:10.1006/jhev.2000.0396
Primate Locomotion: Recent Advances Edited by Elizabeth Strasser, John Fleagle, Alfred Rosenberger and Henry McHenry (1998). New York: Plenum Press. 482pp. $110.00 (cloth). ISBN 0-306-46022-X. The study of primate locomotion has made major advances in the past 30 years, and the contributors to this edited volume provide some excellent examples of the quality, sophistication and diversity of research currently being conducted by contemporary scholars in the field. Even more significantly, perhaps, the contributions serve to highlight just how difficult an enterprise the study of primate locomotion is, especially when considered in the context of our knowledge of other aspects of primate behavior, such as dietary or social behavior. Basic categorizations of locomotor behaviors, such as those developed by Napier & Napier (1967) and 2000 Academic Press
females and its implications for female mate choice, particularly where females may prefer males who act as ‘‘bodyguards’’ to themselves and their young. These ideas are then discussed in the light of human behaviour in a third chapter by Wilson & Mesnick. The latter use data collected by telephone questionnaire to test theories relating to sexual coercion and choice of partners as ‘‘bodyguards’’. Thoughtful discussions of issues raised by these and other papers are found in the chapters by Maynard Smith and Waage & Gowaty, both of which discuss the question of genetic determinism and the mistaken belief that those who believe that evolution may shape behaviour are also genetic determinists. Teachers of social science courses (e.g., Women’s Studies or Social Anthropology) may find that some of the less biological chapters will serve as useful introductions to a variety of feminist perspectives on biological interpretations of behaviour. Using these chapters in conjunction with some of the more empirical studies will provide an excellent stimulus for debate and discussion in interdisciplinary courses. It is unlikely that you will read this book without vehemently disagreeing with several of the authors—in fact anyone who could read the whole book without doing so would either have no opinions at all, or would be capable of holding several contradictory viewpoints simultaneously. There were several chapters that seriously annoyed me, and drove me to sit snorting ‘‘Rubbish’’ and ‘‘What is she on about?’’, and at least one chapter which seemed (to me) to be complete gibberish, but equally, there were others with which I could agree with all or part of the content. Giving two or more chapters with different positions to students to read is likely to provoke debate and criticism of the papers involved. This book will be a useful addition to libraries and to the bookshelves of individual academics
involved in cross-disciplinary teaching involving feminism and women’s issues. D C R Roehampton Institute of London School of Life Sciences doi:10.1006/jhev.1999.0374
The Evolving Female: A Life History Perspective Edited by M. E. Morbeck, A. Galloway & A. L. Zihlman (1997). Princeton: Princeton University Press. 344 pp. $48.00. ISBN 0 691 02748 X. Understanding life history evolution and its influence on social structures and behaviour has been a major part of evolutionary biology since MacArthur and Wilson published their seminal book Island Biogeography in 1967. In the 20 chapters of this volume the evolution of female life histories is considered from a number of diverse perspectives. The main part of the book concentrates on a comparative and evolutionary approach to primate (particularly human) life histories, but there are also chapters on sea-lions and elephants. For humans, both ecological and cultural aspects of life histories are discussed, with several chapters using case studies to examine and illustrate theories and ideas. The six parts of the book are ‘‘Perspectives in life history’’ (with two chapters giving overviews of the ways in which life history evolution has been and is studied); ‘‘Mammals’’ (two chapters on sea-lions and elephants); ‘‘Primates’’; ‘‘Anatomy, physiology and variation in catarrhines’’; ‘‘Women in human societies’’, and ‘‘Life history, females and evolution’’. I will not attempt to discuss all the 20 chapters here, but instead will mention some that were of particular interest to me. Most of the chapters are essentially review papers and, as such, are extremely useful to anyone trying to familiarize themselves with 2000 Academic Press
the work of the authors and their colleagues. For example, Draper’s chapter on gender roles in the !Kung examines data on behaviour collected over 20 years. This broad perspective allows Draper to compare patterns of behaviour as the life of the !Kung changed from being primarily huntergathering to that of sedentary food production. Draper’s work can be compared with the work of Morelli on the Efe and Lese presented in the previous chapter, and with the chapter by Hiraiwa-Hasagawa on the development of sex differences in nonhuman primates. These chapters emphasize the importance of looking at behaviour in its ecological and social context if one is to understand intraspecific and interspecific variation in gender roles. On another topic entirely, Caroline Pond summarizes her important and original studies on adipose tissue, work that uses the comparative method to study the anatomy and physiology of adipose tissue in order to test theories on the evolution of fat distribution in humans. Pond’s chapter is followed by a discussion of the role of critical levels of fat in women’s reproduction (by Robin MacFarland) and is complemented by this and other chapters that look at the energetic demands of reproduction in Nepal (Catherine Panter-Brick) and the evolution of women’s bodies (Adrienne Zihlman). Several authors start their chapters by giving a brief personal history that outlines the reasons why they started their research. This provides an insight into the backgrounds of the authors and their motivations, something that is always interesting and valuable, particularly for students who are thinking about starting a career in research. The main omission from this book is any detailed discussion of life history theory and models of life history evolution. Although work by leading researchers such as Eric Charnov and Stephen Stearns are
603
mentioned in some chapters it was surprising not to find a section (or at least a chapter) discussing these models and their implications for female life histories. As with any multi-authored, edited volume, there are occasional inconsistencies and repetition of some ideas, but generally the editing appears to have produced a consistent style and good integration of the material. The bibliography is extensive and the index useful, although an author index would have been helpful. The level of writing is appropriate for undergraduates, or others without a specialized interest in the topics covered; little prior knowledge is assumed. In summary, this book would make a welcome addition to any academic library providing a useful resource for staff and students studying a wide range of topics. D C R Roehampton Institute of London School of Life Sciences doi:10.1006/jhev.2000.0396
Primate Locomotion: Recent Advances Edited by Elizabeth Strasser, John Fleagle, Alfred Rosenberger and Henry McHenry (1998). New York: Plenum Press. 482pp. $110.00 (cloth). ISBN 0-306-46022-X. The study of primate locomotion has made major advances in the past 30 years, and the contributors to this edited volume provide some excellent examples of the quality, sophistication and diversity of research currently being conducted by contemporary scholars in the field. Even more significantly, perhaps, the contributions serve to highlight just how difficult an enterprise the study of primate locomotion is, especially when considered in the context of our knowledge of other aspects of primate behavior, such as dietary or social behavior. Basic categorizations of locomotor behaviors, such as those developed by Napier & Napier (1967) and 2000 Academic Press