On the Origin of Sex: The Weird and Wonderful Science of Reproduction
Recently, the study of sex has undergone a sexual revolution of its own ... On the Origin of Sex: The Weird and Wonderful Science of Reproduction (Basic), by Lixing Sun, is among the latest entries into this indecorous yet edifying genre ... The way Sun tells it, the shift from isogamy to sex as we know it began with a cheat. Some 'crafty' creature figured out a way to game the system by skimping on its reproductive contribution ... The vast array of mating strategies that have evolved, Sun observes, provide 'a wealth of evidence' for 'breaking down biases.'
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Even since the advent of sex, asexual reproduction has stuck around ... So why don’t we all just clone ourselves? ... It is questions like these that drive Lixing Sun’s fascinating, accessible study of how sex shapes and underpins our lives ... Sun, who is a distinguished research professor at Central Washington University, acknowledges that 'biological conflict is overlaid with the powerful influences of culture, law and ethics'. But he also argues that people might get plastic surgery, cheat on their partners or commit sexual violence because of an evolutionary impulse ... Explanations of human nature are better left to other disciplines ... When it sticks to the science this is an enlightening study.
Engaging and frequently mind-boggling ... By Sun’s own admission, On the Origin of Sex is a 'fast, selective ride', but his imagined reader isn’t always obvious. He can assume considerable knowledge of evolutionary biology. At other times, his asides and flourishes point to a more accessible title. But the book remains interesting because the many examples of kooky animal sex make it a pacy read, even if you struggle with some of the more technical scientific discussion ... Sun’s enthusiasm for his subject, and his wonder at the adaptive strategies of the animal kingdom, is also infectious.
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