<...>
> It's quite a stretch to fit variation of dental structures into a
> theory of adaptation. It could be that 'wisdom' teeth like the male
it's neither more nor less of a stretch than to fit any other organ or variation thereof into a theory of adaptation. i mean, if you can't find an ideological 'purpose' for a physiological phenomenon, then (a) the phenomenon is contingent, (b) your theory is contingent, or (c) both are contingent. answer: (c).
> nipple and female clitoris are not adaptations at all but just some
> evolutionary hangover from a previous period. Perhaps one could argue
oh, i like this: if the phenomenon doesn't fit the totalizing theory, it's a 'hangover.' whenever i'm confronted with some- thing so confusing i turn to my trusty ouija board. it said:
M-A-R-C-E-L-M-A-U-S-S-S-A-I-D-T-H-E-C-A-T-E-G-O-R-Y-M-I-S-C-E-L- L-A-N-E-O-U-S-I-S-T-H-E-S-I-G-N-P-O-S-T-O-F-I-G-N-O-R-A-N-C-E.
but <sniff> he stopped there. i was hoping he'd go on to advo- cate a G-R-A-N-D-U-N-I-F-I-E-D-T-H-E-O-R-Y... (and then the spirit admitted that it was really the ghost of jimi hendrix-- and then changed its mind, and said it was really adolph hitler.)
> that the clitoris is an adaptation making sexual activity moe
> pleasurable resulting in higher procreation rates but I doubt it. Of
and your theory on the glans of the penis would be? oh, and don't forget to explain how pressure on the frenum can, um, suppress ejaculation--surely there's a functionalist expla- nation for that, say, to encourage e-commerce or something.
i say that by way of avoiding taking up your suggestion that pleasure for females is a 'hangover from a previous period.'
> course the adaptationists and marginalists like Maynard Smith can not
> swallow such anamolies in their theory.
^^^^^^^
indeed. and male nipples are a signpost on the road to, oh, never mind...
btw, sahlins also points out that the archeological record plainly shows that sustantive evolutionary change has coin- cided historically with what's usually regarded as physical proof of 'culture'--so the whole nature/culture dichotomy is, as a scot (the irish having been maligned in this thread) would say, rrrubbish.
cheers, t