Writing Assignment

Bibliographical Information:
Arthur Allen. “Sexual Selection’s Mystique Lingers.” BioScience. Vol. 64 No. 5. May 2014. Pg. 375-380.

Topic: “Sexual Selection’s Mystique Lingers” the title of our article in question, but what does this title mean? A brief explanation of this title is that it is all about sexual selection and how scientists are trying to understand it better, also about how some scientists don’t believe in sexual selection.

Summary: The article begins by talking about Charles Darwin’s, “On the Origins of Species”. It talks about all of Darwin’s findings that he found and wrote about in his book. This is where the main point begins. Darwin’s theory in question was sexual selection and it was not a well-favored idea. We than move to a man named Robert Trivers who wrote an essay on sexual selection which caused an up rise in interest on sexual selection. But of course as the article shows with every light there is a dark. Joan Roughgarden wrote a book in which she smears the idea of sexual selection and states that it is incorrect. She even urges scientist to focus on other research regarding similar subjects. After a few quotes and other ideas that Roughgarden stated in her book the article tells us that her attempt to smear …show more content…
The article begins by saying that her papers have received very little praise and is only used in very few other scientist’s papers, and when it is it’s not to praise her writings. The article continues to say that many other scientist actually assault her writings saying that they were biased and more about her own personal wanting’s. The article continues to talk about how Roughgarden’s writings are frowned upon and how she possibly was just confused about the research on sexual selection. This section of the article ends with Roughgarden saying that she never meant to smear Darwin’s theory on sexual