annabella wrote:
me wrote:
John Calhoun's famous rat experiment in 1962 showed that social pathology increased geometrically with population density. Included in this social pathology that increased the negative feedback to population density was homosexuality. Homosexuality increased geometrically with population density, which would not occur if the trait was purely genetic. The idea that any mammal is born homosexual would defeat the purpose of the evolved homosexuality trait which is to help slow an increase of population density. Instead all herding mammals have the potential to become homosexual as part of the innate population controls in their species. The percentage of the population that exhibits this pathology increases with population density; as it does with other negative feedbacks like sterility.
The question I would have is whether you'd consider this pathology or whether it is relatively neutral--or an adaptation-- given the fact that it serves the population to decrease reproduction.
Social pathology is really just a scientific term in this context, it is not meant to label somnething as bad. Anything different from the norm could be labeled as such, and this does not make it bad. In fact one could argue that given the world population, it is a good thing. (I am not making that arguement just giving an example) I would consider it overall an adaptation.
Edited, Dec 28th 2006 11:40am by fhrugby