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Pathological complexity and the evolution of sex differences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 July 2022

Walter Veit Open the ORCID record for Walter Veit [Opens in a new window]  and
Heather Browning Open the ORCID record for Heather Browning [Opens in a new window]
Walter Veit
Affiliation:
School of History and Philosophy of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia [email protected]://walterveit.com/
Heather Browning
Affiliation:
London School of Economics and Political Science, Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science, London WC2A 2AE, UK [email protected]://www.heatherbrowning.net/
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Abstract

Benenson et al. provide a compelling case for treating greater investment into self-protection among females as an adaptive strategy. Here, we wish to expand their proposed adaptive explanation by placing it squarely in modern state-based and behavioural life-history theory, drawing on Veit's pathological complexity framework. This allows us to make sense of alternative “lifestyle” strategies, rather than pathologizing them.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 45 , 2022 , e149
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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References

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