If men in our evolutionary past did not invest in offspring, they would not have evolved strict mate preferences and thus women would be as drab as peahens. The fact that women are not as drab as peahens suggests a long history of male mate choice, which in turn suggests a long history of pair bonding and high male parental investment.

— Steve Stewart-Williams The Ape that Thought It Was a Peacock: Does Evolutionary Psychology Exaggerate Human Sex Differences? (2013)

More quotes by Steve Stewart-Williams

The Ape That Understood the Universe: How the Mind and Culture Evolve (2018)

The Ape That Understood the Universe: How the Mind and Culture Evolve (2018)

The Ape That Understood the Universe: How the Mind and Culture Evolve (2018)

A Billion Years of Sex Differences: How Evolution Shaped the Minds of Men and Women (2026)

Darwin, God and the Meaning of Life: How Evolutionary Theory Undermines Everything You Think You Know (2010)

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Steve Stewart-Williams (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.