The Biology of Love * *Please note. This discussion in no way attempts to discuss love in a religious context. Rather it is merely an entertaining way to learn about the sometimes comical world of biological reproduction. By Miss Baker missbakersbiologyclass.com

If not for sex[ual reproduction], much of what is flamboyant and beautiful in nature would not exist. –Olivia Judson, Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation

Why Sex?

A sexual organism has only 50% of the fitness of an asexual organism.

You Have to Find and Woo a Mate

You Have to Fight to Win Their Love

You'll Be More Conspicuous to Predators

Sex Increases Risk of Diseases That Lead to Sickness Infertility Death

So, Why Sex?

Red Queen The Red Queen Hypothesis

What?? A speices must continually adapt its genes just to maintain an advantage over its predators/parasites!

Lucky in Love Sex is like the best strategy for winning the lottery

Greater Success Increasing Variety =

The Difference Between Males and Females

Between , the Wife of Feodor Vassiyev had 69 Children In Her 27 Pregnancies She Gave Birth to 16 Pairs of Twins 7 Sets of Triplets 4 Sets of Quadruplets

1,042 Children

Love is Like a Game of Chess It's All About Strategy

Base Your Decisions on the Environment in Which You Live Make the Choice That Will Lead to the Greatest Number of Successful Offspring!

Monogamy... My Heart Beats Only For You

Polygamy... I Love You and You and You and You and

MonogamyPolygamy Less disease riskMore diversity in offspring Can mate guardProduce more offspring Lower infanticideLess commitment Form social bonds Less male competition

How Many Offspring Should You Have?

If You Decide to Have Few...

You Must Provide Parental Care

If You Decide to Have Many... You Won't Have to Provide Parental Care

That You'll Die Soon Afterwards But, You'll Probably Be So Exhausted

Are You a Desperate Male?

Commit Sexual Suicide It's Better to Have Loved and Lost Then to Have Never Loved at All!

Or Allow Yourself to Be Exploited And Persist as a Tiny Blood-Sucking Parasite Attached to the Female's Body

What if a Member of the Opposite Sex is Not Available? Get a Sex Change!

But, What if You're Alone?

Shy?

Rejected?

Unable to find a mate?

All is Not Lost

Go Asexual But, Remember You Lose the Benefits of Sex So Switch Back When Possible

Arguably the Most Exquisitely Evolved Mating Behaviors Belong to Class Aves

The Greatest Human Mating Behavior of All Time And Now for the Finale Drumroll Please

The End

Photo Credits Slide #PhotographerURL 3Unknownhttp:// 4Michael Reeve 5Arthur Morris 6Unknown A2C4196C3EDFEC0E7E6A55A1E4F32AD3138 7Billy Campbell 8Lampronhttp:// 9Unknownhttp:// 10Unknown 11John Tenniel 12Unknown 13Unknownhttp://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/05/dpuzzle_640.gi f 14Steven Rhoads 15Can you identify?Found on Creative Commons Flickr Search 16Unknownhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Moulay_Ismail.jpg 17PoppyWhttp:// 18Can you identify?Found on Creative Commons Flickr Search 19WTLhttp:// 20M. Boylen pg/300px-Callorhinus_ursinus_and_harem.jpg

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