Kin Selection and the Evolution of Male Androphilia

Abstract

Iemmola and Camperio Ciani (2008) briefly discussed the kin selection hypothesis for male androphilia, which holds that male androphiles can increase their indirect fitness by providing resources and childcare to close family members, who, in turn, benefit in terms of their direct reproductive success. A basic prediction that flows from this hypothesis is that androphilic males should exhibit increased kin-directed altruism relative to their heterosexual counterparts. Iemmola and Camperio Ciani (2008) stated that ‘‘...various researchers have failed to confirm the kin selection hypothesis. In fact, they found that homosexuals do not contribute in presence or in economic and affective terms more than heterosexuals.’’ In support of this claim, they cited three quantitative studies: one conducted in the U.S. (Bobrow & Bailey, 2001), one conducted in the UK (Rahman & Hull, 2005), and one conducted in Independent Samoa (Vasey, Pocock, & VanderLaan, 2007). It is true that all of these studies failed to find any male sexual orientation differences in money given to kin. It is also true that the studies conducted in the U.S. and the UK failed to find male sexual orientation differences in emotional closeness to kin, while the one conducted in Independent Samoa did not present relevant data bearing on this point. All this being said, Samoan androphilic males do exhibit significantly higher avuncular tendencies compared to gynephilic men (Vasey et al., 2007). This sexual orientation difference in avuncular tendencies was recently replicated by Vasey and VanderLaan (2008) in Independent Samoa using a larger, independent sample, suggesting that it is real and not the result of sampling bias. Vasey and VanderLaan (2008) also demonstrated that androphilic males in Samoa had significantly higher avuncular tendencies even when compared to a more closely matched control group, namely, childless gynephilic men who, like male androphiles, had no direct childcare responsibilities. In addition, Samoan androphilic males exhibited significantly higher avuncular tendencies compared to the materteral (i.e., aunt-like) tendencies of Samoan mothers and childless women (Vasey & VanderLaan, in press). It is notable that some of the avuncular tendency items, for which Samoan androphilic males scored significantly higher compared to men and women, could be characterized as economic in character because they would involve financial output. These items included contributing money for nieces’ and nephews’ medical expenses and buying toys for them. As such, although our Samoan research does not ‘‘confirm’’ the Kin Selection Hypothesis for male androphilia, it is certainly consistent with a basic prediction of that hypothesis, namely, that androphilic male should exhibit distinctly elevated levels of altruistic tendencies toward close kin when compared to other individuals whose life histories are (or will be) characterized by direct reproduction.