ScienceDaily (Feb. 4, 2010) — Male homosexuality doesn't make complete sense from an evolutionary point of view. It appears that the trait is heritable, but because homosexual men are much less likely to produce offspring than heterosexual men, shouldn't the genes for this trait have been extinguished long ago? What value could this sexual orientation have, that it has persisted for eons even without any discernible reproductive advantage?
One possible explanation is what evolutionary psychologists call the "kin selection hypothesis." What that means is that homosexuality may convey an indirect benefit by enhancing the survival prospects of close relatives. Specifically, the theory holds that homosexual men might enhance their own genetic prospects by being "helpers in the nest." By acting altruistically toward nieces and nephews, homosexual men would perpetuate the family genes, including some of their own.
Read complete report:
What is evolutionary psychology?
Edward H. Hagen, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Berlin
The "Johnny Depp Effect" - An evolutionary explanation for homosexuality
by Kayla Causey and Aaron Goetz
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Center for Evolutionary Psychology
The Evolutionary Psychology FAQ
University of California, Santa Barbara and
Institute for Theoretical Biology - Berlin
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