Key Points
Research suggests Bowles’s APES theory, focusing on Aging, Predation, Extinction, and Sex, may outperform the modern evolutionary synthesis in explaining aging and reproductive strategies.
It seems likely that the APES theory better accounts for programmed aging, lifespan variations based on predation defense, and male sex traits as predator attractants, challenging the modern synthesis’s dominance.
The evidence leans toward the APES theory’s son-king hypothesis for menopause, supported by historical figures like Ramses (93 children) and Genghis Khan (A large percentage of Asia males share his genes), contrasting with the grandmother hypothesis, which Bowles argues is disproven.
An unexpected detail is that the APES theory explains asexual animals in low-predation environments and homosexuality linked to prenatal stress, with studies on rats, mice, and WW2 Germany supporting this.