Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 March 2024
Sexual selection theory has undergone both a theoretical and an empirical revolution over the last few decades. New understandings of female choice, partnership dynamics and the impact of sociodemographic factors on mating strategies have led to a flourishing of studies within human behavioral ecology and related evolutionary social sciences. Drawing from this literature, this chapter outlines how mating markets operate and the particular traits that are thought to be most important in human mate choice. Following this overview, the chapter examines how temporal and contextual facets of human partnerships affect mating decisions. Finally, the chapter shifts the focus to debates about the dual roles of fidelity and paternity and how these affect mating strategies. Throughout, the chapter focuses on data from non-WEIRD societies in order to highlight aspects of mating where universals are evident and where cross-cultural variation is important. In addition, the chapter highlights how studies of human mating by human behavioral ecologists offer a distinct and valuable perspective which cannot be found in other subfields of the evolutionary social sciences.
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