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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–9Cite as

Homosexuality Paradox, The

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Synonyms

Evolutionary puzzle of homosexuality

Definition

The heritable components of human homosexuality are not immediately explicable according to basic evolutionary principles because they entail reduced average individual reproductive success relative to alternative genotypes.

Introduction

Evolutionary psychology generates research questions by considering the ancestral survival and reproductive challenges faced by humans and human ancestors. At the heart of evolutionary thinking is reproductive success, as every trait informed by genetics must allow for its own replication in the next generation. For example, a genetic mutation that causes early death or sterility will not replicate under normal circumstances and is thus quickly removed from the population. Less extreme cases of limited reproductive success also tend to be outcompeted by prevailing alternatives. If a mutation merely reduces fertility (i.e., lower probability of fertilization at each copulation, all else equal),...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Austin Jeffery

Authors
  1. Austin Jeffery
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Correspondence to Austin Jeffery .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland Univ Dept of Psycholgy, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana Weekes-Shackelford

  2. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  3. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, UK

    Gayle Brewer

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

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Jeffery, A. (2016). Homosexuality Paradox, The. 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_40-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_40-1

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  • 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

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