A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life

by Heather E. Heying

Humans are sexually dimorphic across many domains, extending far beyond reproduction. Men and women have different disease risks, etiology, and progression, for conditions from Alzheimer’s9 to migraine,10 from drug addiction11 to Parkinson’s disease.12 Our brains are structured differently.13 We tend to have different personality traits by sex, and they are mediated by our environment: personality differences are greater in countries that have abundant food and a low prevalence of pathogens.14 In general, women are more altruistic, trusting, and compliant as well as more prone to depression than men.15 Men are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD,16 women are more likely to have anxiety disorders.17 Finally, on average, men prefer working with things, and women prefer working with people.18