Re: Evolution and Love


"Kartik Rajan" <rajan.kartik@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:dmnem7$2ud5$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> The choice of polygamy vs monogamy in species may be based
on group
> dynamics in a particular species, based on their habitat,
diet etc.

[snippage]

> I dont know if anyone has actually checked if polygamous
animals
> 'experience' feelings of love, but they probably dont as
love is most
> likely characteristic of pair bonding monogamous species.
> Kartik Rajan

I also don't know if there is any experimental evidence one
way or the other on this, but I strongly suspect love is not
restricted to pair bonding monogamous species.
(Incidentally, though I am not a worker in the bio-evo, or
even, bio-fields alone, I also doubt there are such things
as exclusively monogamous species, but rather just a
universal continuum from mono- to polygamous for all
species, with only a few species always near the lower mono-
end--this is not really relevant to my argument here
though.)

There is much evidence now that feelings/emotions of
"romance" and "love" in humans are purely (bio)chemical. It
is well known that oxytocin (the "cuddle chemical,") a
hormone produced in the hypothalamus, is integral in
initiating romantic attraction between people. Oxytocin is
also necessary for milk production and nursing. Typical
ref.: http://www.oxytocin.org/oxytoc/

More recently, there have been newer studies on the
purported "love" neurotrophin prototype, NGF (Nerve Growth
Factors.) Typical ref.:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4478040.stm

This may have a slightly longer lasting effect than
oxytocin, eventually declining after about a year. There are
undoubtedly many other such chemicals with varying strengths
and periods of action, as well as other, biological effects
related to attraction/romance/love, in addition to unrelated
effects.

Such deterministic effects of chemicals on the behavior of
animals however would indicate to me that sexual attraction
need not be limited to pair-bonding. Quite the opposite in
fact; I would guess that it is a biological imperative
characteristic of all mating practices. Just as an aside, my
own very limited (and unsuccessful :) ) experience with the
opposite sex, and a great deal of the anecdotal romantic
poetry I have read, would indicate humans can easily fall in
love with two, or even more, women at exactly the same
time--even, deeply! :) ...tonyC


.

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