Kevin Simler

@KevinSimler @adamdangelo both because handicaps are honest signals and they reduce the costs of mate selection

@KevinSimler @adamdangelo how else would you signal fitness? nature is cruel & horrible

@sarahdoingthing @adamdangelo Facial symmetry is a signal of a strong immune system(?), but isn't costly to carry around. Just hard to fake.

@KevinSimler @adamdangelo yup see previous link - it's possible but not universal, as in human economic systems

@sarahdoingthing @adamdangelo So...do straight up "make life harder (for males)"-type handicaps exist? Or only liar-prevention handicaps?

@KevinSimler @adamdangelo all the latter are the former - not sure what the point of male hardship without signal/mating benefit would be

@sarahdoingthing @adamdangelo Point might be to prove the fitness of the rest of the genome.

@KevinSimler fitness is not just about survival. you see weird things like horns only useful for ritual combat with conspecifics