EP105: Sex + Gender, Humans + Animals and Evolutionary Biology with Natalie Dinsdale

What You'll Hear: 

Definitions of sex + gender +intersex Sex is a functional category defined by the gametes you reproduce. Males produce sperm; females produce eggs. Sex is binary Gender is the social and cultural attributes and rules based on their sex Intersex is a mismatch between phenotype and genotype, or when sex based on observation is not obvious How common is intersex? Ambiguous genitalia is about 1 in 5000. (The origin of misinformation of intersex as 1 in 200, as common as redheads) Evidence of intersex increasing Explanatory power and unifying systems of evolution and astrology Is evolutionary biology equivalent to Darwinism? How evolutionary biology helps us understand female sexuality. How humans differ from animals- brain size, large energetically expensive brain related to the placenta, walk on two legs, intense social nature Are humans monogamous? Or Non-monogamous? Sex for pleasure, social reasons or reproduction Possible immunological benefit to monogamy- preeclampsia study as an example Female as coy, shy strategy waiting for males to come to them. Darwin in Victorian England. Female in estrus are aggressive and search out mates Strip clubs tips change based on where a woman is during her cycle! Role of homogenous spaces, same sex as well as same gender places Females produce a larger gamete, by definition females invest more heavily in reproduction and take on more risk, which presents asymmetry in the sexes. Why doesn’t the male get to decide about abortion Role of homogenous spaces, same sex, same gender places Controversy of Vancouvers women’s center that is female only Body, felt sense of sex. Our perception of sex is adaptive for coding for “female” and “male” for saefty Preferred gender pronouns and Using respectful pronouns Birth and gender Learning about sexuality through 1st person experience, kids coming to explorations through different avenues. Reductionist biology- we are pieces and parts and can just dismantle and take them apart Human pregnancy is much more expensive and risky than any other species Testosterone has a negative influence on fertility Fertility as an industry, and its impact on women Aquarian battle of the old and new. Futuristic and technological androgynous planet We felt controlled by reproduction and now we want control over it, rather than surrendering to our body Menopause is rare, grandmother investment