Synonyms
Definition
The female response to male attempts to control fertilizations through genital morphology.
Introduction
As stated in “genital evolution,” penises have been selected to confer reproductive benefits for males partially in response to intrasexual selection (competition between males for fertilization) and partially in response to intersexual selection (the competition between males and females for control over fertilization).
Reproductive Strategies
Humans possess internal fertilization. This is a major factor in human reproduction, as males cannot be sure that fertilization (and therefore paternity) has taken place. This gives females a distinct advantage in confusing paternity, and in some species, expulsing the ejaculate of unwanted partners after coitus (Baker and Bellis 1995). Because of this (and male competition), male genitalia has evolved to overcome these obstacles and increase the probability of fertilization. For example, human...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Baker, R. R., & Bellis, M. A. (1993). Human sperm competition: Ejaculate manipulation by females and a function for the female orgasm. Animal Behaviour, 46(5), 887–909.
Baker, R. R., & Bellis, M. A. (1995). Human sperm competition: Copulation, masturbation and infidelity. Springer.
Brennan, P. L., Prum, R. O., McCracken, K. G., Sorenson, M. D., Wilson, R. E., & Birkhead, T. R. (2007). Coevolution of male and female genital morphology in waterfowl. PLoS ONE, 2(5), e418.
Chavanne, T. J., & Gallup, G. G. (1998). Variation in risk taking behavior among female college students as a function of the menstrual cycle. Evolution and Human Behavior, 19(1), 27–32.
Thornhill, R., Gangestad, S. W., & Comer, R. (1995). Human female orgasm and mate fluctuating asymmetry. Animal Behaviour, 50(6), 1601–1615.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Burch, R.L. (2016). Counteradaptations/Female Counterstrategies. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1945-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1945-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences