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Originally posted by Phage
One major problem with your hypothesis; natural selection works to the advantage of a species, not a gender. Women do not physically compete with men for survival (at a species level anyway). Inter-gender competition is not a survival enhancing adaptation.
Women evolved to be physically attractive to men in order to increase their chances of breeding with the dominant, and therefore presumably more survivable males. Just as males evolved to be stronger in order to be able to become dominant and thereby increase their ability to mate with the more attractive and physically able women. Men compete with men for women, and women compete with women for men. Physical attractiveness and strength, as well as intellect, is advantageous in this competition as well as survival. Weaker, less attractive, less intelligent individuals would be less likely to successfully mate.
There really is no quantitative difference in the inherent intelligence levels of men and women. Cultural influences have caused differences in the intellectual development of men and women but these are acquired characteristic which have no influence on genetic inheritance and thus no influence on evolution.
[edit on 4-10-2008 by Phage]