

The Life Scientific: Sarah Blaffer Hrdy
Jan 8, 2024
Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, a Professor Emerita of Anthropology, challenges stereotypes and explores female primate behavior. Her groundbreaking study of langur monkeys in India overturned assumptions about infanticide. She emphasizes the importance of shared care and social cognition in humans and discusses the challenges faced by academic couples.
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Sex Stereotypes Have Historical Bias
- Sex stereotypes like aggressive males and passive females are not fully rooted in biology but heavily influenced by historical biases.
- Darwin and others had blind spots about female competition and male care, despite natural exceptions.
School Changed Academic Path
- Sarah Hrdy blossomed academically after moving to a girl's school in ninth grade where liking books was encouraged.
- The headmistress believed in her, helping Sarah realize her scholarly potential despite not being a good student before.
Langur Infanticide Is Strategic
- Sarah observed that langur males in high-density town areas were very tolerant of babies, unlike outsiders entering breeding groups.
- Infanticide occurred only when males entered breeding groups from outside, indicating strategic, not pathological, behavior.