Werner20.20

Evolutionary Theories for Homosexuality

Biological Structures and Male Homosexuality

Many evolutionists (Gould 1977b; Rieppel 1992; Reichholf 1992; Antinucci 1990) have complained about the emphasis placed by sociobiologists on natural selection to the detriment of questions of biological structure. According to these authors, sociobiologists have an overly "atomistic" approach to evolution, acting as if specific biological traits can evolve all by themselves, without regard to structural constraints on design or to the possibility that given structural changes may or may not be possible in phylogenetic history. Tracing structural variations is important because natural selection does not operate like an architect, drawing up a blueprint for a house, and then putting it together from scratch in the most efficient way possible. Rather, natural selection operates more like a "tinkerer" taking advantage of materials already available to produce new forms that "work" at the moment.