"Why do some women of a certain age opt for plastic surgery in an attempt to preserve their youth? Why do the husbands of Dogon women in Mali insist that their wives spend five days a month living alone in a small dark hut? Why are stepchildren at greater risk of fatal abuse than a parent's natural offspring? And just what is it that makes a man with a fast car and a strong chin that much more attractive than your basic Mr Average?

At first glance, these would seem to be four entirely unrelated questions, each requiring a completely different explanation. But, as in most things, first impressions can be misleading. In fact,there is a theory that explains all these phenomena, that reveals the natural connections that exist between them. This is the theory of evolution by natural selection."

- Barrett et al (2002) Human Evolutionary Psychology


And so the semester begins once again.