The Human Evolution of [Making] Love

The information in this article has been gleaned from, but is not limited to the linked articles and the following books: Sex at Dawn, Mating in Captivity, The Third Chimpanzee, and The Moral Animal. As a species, why do we mate the way we do? Obviously different people have their own unique, what should we call it, style of making love, and this style can change and adapt over time (for better or for worse). But what if we zoom out a degree from the individual to the species and consider the average, or the limits, of our homo sapiens mating nature? Taxonomically speaking, we humans are not excluded from the category of Great Apes that includes orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos. This being known, how then would we differ, say, from these closest genetic relatives? What makes human mating practices, well, human? For example, male chimpanzees have been observed trading meat for sex, and bonobos have been documented looking into each other’s eyes and kissing with tongue while mating face-to-face missionary style. So, like, how unique are we really? A Note on Evolution It may seem paradoxical to some that the subtitle would suggest a combination of the concepts of anthropology and divinity all at once, for if we were truly divine creatures created by God, Source, The Great Mother, etc - then how could we possibly have evolved from mere “animals”? This debate used to take up much of my time, (my indoctrination degree is a Bachelor of Arts in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology after all), and I could approach from various angles how evolution had to be the truth and was the obvious answer. Now, I’m not so sure, and that doesn’t surprise me. Once I started learning about how many things we were lied to about, it is totally fair to conclude we were lied to about the biggest things we were taught as well. I can’t say for certain anymore things that used to be major obvious facts like if we went to the moon, if the holocaust happened in the way they taught us it did, or if the Earth is round. Could evolution be as well a farce that is just one more attempt at separating us from our spiritual sacredness? Possibly, so I’m not ruling it out anymore. Now I know that I know with certainty almost nothing, and if evolution is all rubbish, so be it. However, no matter what is real or not real, I will not be excluding the creator from the conversation anymore. Regardless of the true historicity of our questionable and miraculous origins as a species, the following version of the absolutely marvelous interconnectedness of our human bodies, relationship dynamics, mating habits, and natural birthing behaviors inspires me to not only take more care in the attention of the relationship I have with my wife, but it allows me to see my fellow humans, men and women alike, as true individuals each with great power and purpose. Pass the Genes, Please Where might one start on the journey to unpack the sexuality of ourselves and our primate cousins? How about with the initial point of mating: reproduction.Reproduction is the passing of one’s genes onto the next generation through our offspring. “Our genes” are not only our own, but the genes of every ancestor we have ever had. Being able to reproduce is to extend the lifespan of every one that came before us. And just how many people came before us? Well, 2 generations is 4 grandparents, 5 generations is 32 grandparents, and 10 generations is 1,024 grandparents. That means in only the last 10 generations 2046 people mated to ultimately lead to your unique present existence. Whoa. Can you feel it? In this context, some would call passing on the genes of your bloodline the most honorable thing you could do with your life, as those ancestors often fought tooth and nail, had to create resources out of dust, and find wisdom and cleverness through action to ensure their own and their children’s survival. They, like you, had a unique life experience worthy of biography, and their bloodline certainly does not want to end. How do we know the bloodline doesn’t want to end? If you have impulse or craving for sex, and you definitely do if you are healthy and in a reproductive window, your bloodline is calling you, compelling you, demanding you even, to extend the legacy at least once more. This creates an issue, though, because as even supply and demand dictates, there is a finite supply of partners to procreate with. Math alone will determine not everyone gets to procreate. If procreation is of the most primal utmost importance and necessity, but not everyone gets to do it, then we have a competition on our hands. A fierce competition at that. As males from the ape categories are reproductively viable for longer in their lives than females are, even a population with a 50/50 split in gender will always have more sexually reproductive males than females, thus creating the competition. As well, when females are pregnant or newly mothers they are off the market, further dividing the balance and reducing more potential female mates. To get technical and use scientific lingo, since sperm is specifically what the males are offering for reproduction, what we have is here is called sperm competition. Size Does Matter - For the Species Anyway Taking us humans and our 2 closest genetic relatives into consideration (gorillas, and chimpanzees), let’s break down how we each manage this sperm competition. First, what kind of obvious differences might we see in the basic physiology of these different Great Apes in comparison to each other? The categories we will analyze are overall body size in weight, testicle size, erect penis width and length, breast size, length of mating practice, menopause, lifespan, and concealed ovulation. Concealed ovulation, also known as hidden estrus, is the opposite of visible estrus. Visible estrus is where the body of an adult female displays physical and apparent changes that signal she is ovulating, and thus at time in the cycle most likely to conceive. Think back to images you may have seen of monkeys or apes with an exaggerated and pink backside - and check out the following image of a chimpanzee in heat, aka ovulating. You’ll also notice that human females do not show clear, outward signs of ovulation. Of course, human ovulation is not a total mystery, and women in the know understand their cycle based on the cues their body does give them (cervical position, cervical mucus consistency, basal body temperature), but this is not obvious to the public. In today’s era, this information is even lacking in private. Many women, and most men, have no idea how to track these cycles as women have for thousands of years. For invaluable information on this most essential aspect of basic human life consider reading The Fifth Vital Sign by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack. The book is absolutely mind blowing in its simplicity. On to the comparisons… Gorillas Lifespan of 35-40 years with oldest known at 66. Males: Largest body, smallest testicles, smallest erect penis (1.75”), and middle mating duration (1.5 mins). Females: Largest body, smallest breasts, visible estrus. Menopause at latest: 40 years. Chimpanzees Lifespan of 35-40 years, with oldest known chimp allegedly 79. Males: Smallest body, largest testicles, middle penis width, same penis length as humans (5.25”), and shortest mating duration (). Females: Smallest body, middle sized breasts, visible estrus. Menopause at latest: 35-50yrs. Humans Lifespan: Hard to say as it is based on averaging fuzzy prehistoric evidence and post industrial revolution modern era extended lifespans, but I’m going with 60 years, with the oldest known human to be 122. Males: Middle sized body, middle sized testicles, largest penis width, same length as chimps, and longest mating duration at some modern sources suggesting 5 minutes. Females: Middle sized body, largest breasts, hidden estrus, aka concealed ovulation. Menopause at latest: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rewritingourfuture.substack.com