User:Katherinegaffney/sandbox/My sandbox: Show-Off Hypothesis

The Show-Off Hypothesis The idea that more successful men have better mate options. The idea relates back to the fact that meat, the result of hunting expeditions, is a distinct resource in that it comes in large quantities that more often than not the hunter’s own family is not able to consume in a timely manner so that the meat doesn’t go sour. Also the success of hunting is unpredictable whereas berries and fruits, unless there is a drought or a bad bush, are fairly consistent in seasonality. Kristen Hawkes argues that women favor neighbors who opt for men who provide the advantageous, yet infrequent meat feasts since they may profit from it especially in times of shortage. It would be beneficial for women to reward men who employ the “show-off strategy” by supporting them in a dispute, caring for their offspring, or providing sexual favors. Men then benefit in increasing the sexual access to women, augmenting the likelihood of having children, and having their children receive more favorable treatment. (Buss 83) While this is represented in the Ache people of Paraguay this trend is contradicted in the Hadza who evenly distribute the meat across all members of their population and whose hunters have very little control over the distribution. In the Hadza the show-off hypothesis does not have to do with the resources that result from hunting, but from the prestige and risk that is involved in big game hunting. There are possible circuitous benefits such as protection and defense (Buss 84).