[Magdalen] praising the Liberal Arts

[Juli Tarsney]

Now *I'm* confused. Wouldn't a 17:1 F-M ratio argue FOR polygamy?

Ann?

On Fri, Jun 1, 2018 at 4:32 PM, Ann Markle <ann.markle at aya.yale.edu> wrote:
> I see. Agreed, though the literature you cite is from the Middle East, not
> primarily Europe per se (and my assumption is they’re referring to northern
> and western Europe, which may be incorrect). The curious/surprising thing
> to me was the 17:1 woman/man ratio, and how that was deduced by reading the
> human genome. It makes it surprising that polygamy developed (though again,
> not in northern and western Europe — in fact, maybe that’s why it DIDN’T
> develop there!): polyandry would make a lot more sense!
>
> On Fri, Jun 1, 2018 at 3:18 PM ME Michaud <michaudme at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> The Old Testament is full of just the sort of thing the scientists are
>> describing.
>> People moving from one area to another,
>> along with their families and livestock,
>> conquering cities,
>> killing the residents (or at least the men).
>> Sometimes in battle.
>> Sometimes by stealth.
>>
>> Nearly all of ancient literature is about war and occupation.
>>
>> And here are these scientists surprised to discover (in their study of
>> genetics)
>> that loads and loads of men died just as history was about to be born.
>>
>> If they’d done their undergraduate reading they wouldn’t have been
>> surprised at all.
>> -M
>>
>> On Friday, June 1, 2018, Ann Markle <ann.markle at aya.yale.edu> wrote:
>>
>> > Margaret, I'm trying to puzzle out what you mean here, but I just
>> can't.  I
>> > hate to be so dim, but could you say a little more?
>> >
>> > Ann
>> >
>> > The Rev. Ann Markle
>> > Buffalo, NY
>> > ann.markle at aya.yale.edu
>> >
>> > On Fri, Jun 1, 2018 at 10:44 AM, ME Michaud <michaudme at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > > I just read a news article that says that seven thousand years ago wars
>> > had
>> > > so reduced the male population that there was only one man living for
>> > every
>> > > seventeen women.
>> > >
>> > > Apparently these people have never read the Old Testament.
>> > > Or the Bhagavad Gita.
>> > > Hello Philip of Macedon. Hello Alexander the Great.
>> > > Homer? That guy on the Simpsons?
>> > > There was a time when epic was a noun.
>> > > -M
>> > >
>> >
>>
> --
> Ann
>
> The Rev. Ann Markle
> Buffalo, NY
> www.onewildandpreciouslife.typepad.com