Female white-necked jacobin hummingbirds are polymorphic—some express ornamented plumage like adult males. Falk et al. find that all juvenile females have male-like plumage, which some maintain as adults. Rather than being favored by sexual selection, male-like plumage benefits females by reducing social harassment from this and other species.
Male-like ornamentation in female hummingbirds results from social harassment rather than sexual selection
Female white-necked jacobin hummingbirds are polymorphic—some express ornamented plumage like adult males. Falk et al. find that all juvenile females have male-like plumage, which some maintain as adults. Rather than being favored by sexual selection, male-like plumage benefits females by reducing social harassment from this and other species.
Reciprocal signaling in honeyguide-human mutualism
Honeyguide birds recognize human honey-hunters calls and help them find wild bees’ nests.
Advancing the Understanding of Phenotypic Mimicry in Men’s Conspicuous Consumption
Two studies advance the understanding of phenotypic mimicry in consumer products. Product features mimicking more prominent male secondary sexual characteristics are associated with men’s behavioral strategies which are higher in mating effort and lower in paternal investment in offspring, in parallel with reproductive strategies across species and within the human population. The first study demonstrated a continuous relationship between the sizes of luxury brand logos and perceptions of the owners’ life histories. Two partial replications reproduced Study 1 results. Study 2 demonstrated that a manipulation of coloration, another fundamental dimension of variation in secondary sex characteristics, generates a similar pattern of results. In both studies, men owning shirts with more prominent sensory characteristics were believed to use authority and intimidation as strategies for advancing social status, whereas men owning shirts with less showy characteristics were believed to demonstrate useful abilities and foster cooperative alliances. Participants also recognized the strategic use of luxury display properties across social contexts.
Testosterone causes both prosocial and antisocial status-enhancing behaviors in human males | PNAS
Although popular discussion of testosterone’s influence on males often centers on aggression and antisocial behavior, contemporary theorists have p...
AI, gender bias and development
Generative AI is quietly reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes, shaping how we see the world and ourselves. How can we ensure it doesn't affect our development work in a biased way?
Will Generative AI Disproportionately Affect the Jobs of Women?
Generative AI such as ChatGPT holds the potential to alter many kinds of work, but analysis of a new report shows the occupations most likely to be affected are populated by more women than men.
Mute swan
The mute swan is a species of swan and a member of the family Anatidae within the waterfowl order. It is native to much of Europe and parts of Asia and the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home to the largest populations outside of its native range, with additional smaller introductions in Australasia and Southern Africa. The name "mute" derives from it being less vocal than other swan species. Typically measuring 140 to 160 cm in length, this large swan is wholly white in plumage, with an orange beak bordered with black. It is recognisable by its pronounced knob atop the beak, which is larger in males.
Testosterone eliminates strategic prosocial behavior through impacting choice consistency in healthy males
Neuropsychopharmacology - Testosterone eliminates strategic prosocial behavior through impacting choice consistency in healthy males
Gender Obliviousness in Autism:
Accuracy Concerns Are Not Identity Concerns
Stigma, subscriptions and stamina: a male sex worker tells all
A male sex worker tells all about working on OnlyFans and the pros and cons that come with working in the sex work industry.
Abuser Politics: Christian Male Supremacists Want Women to Shut Up
The desire for quiet women—really for silent women—in every public forum is neither about adherence to Biblical truth nor the revelation of natural law.
