Biology of Attraction

Why is one person attracted to another? We will explore both the evolutionary origins of mate choice and the physiological mechanisms that underlie attraction. The process of sexual selection, first proposed by Charles Darwin, shaped the mating decisions and courtship displays in all animal species, and we will consider how the same process shaped human preferences and potentially human intelligence more broadly. Based on recent research with rodents, we will also consider how neural connections and hormone levels influence feelings of love and lust. We will use two general audience books that cover the proximate mechanisms and ultimate causes of biological attraction, supplemented by scientific journal articles. 3 hrs sem.