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Nature 415, 254-256 (17 January 2002) | doi:10.1038/415254a
Sexual stereotypes
Jonathan Knight1
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Abstract
Males are promiscuous and females are choosy, according to evolutionary dogma embodied in a theory called Bateman's principle. Only recently have researchers begun to test the theory's limits, says Jonathan Knight.
"The female, with the rarest exceptions, is less eager than the male... she is coy, and may often be seen endeavouring for a long time to escape."1With these words, Charles Darwin cast the die for evolutionary studies of male and female sexual roles.
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