Reproductive strategies for human survival.
Reproductive strategies for the human species have basically remained unaltered since Homo sapiens first appeared, probably in the valleys of Africa: males have always attempted to pass their genes to the largest feasible number of females, selecting those females capable of providing the best quality of oocytes; females invariably have sought a male capable of providing the best means of survival for herself and her offspring. This meant that human sexuality has been essentially conceptive, although it is reasonable to suppose that it began to lose this 'exclusive' connotation early in the cultural evolution of the species. Then, during the 20th century, major revolutions occurred: first, with the advent of contraception, sex without reproduction became a reality; then, with assisted reproduction technology, humans devised reproduction without sex; finally, very recently, women have begun to reproduce even in menopause. Additional strategies will, no doubt, soon be available, although we cannot as yet clearly see whether, or when, reproduction without sex and gametes, or in-vitro gestations will become available.
Benagiano
Giuseppe
G
Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology; D012098:Reproduction; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D013534:Survival / Q000502:physiology*