Department of Anthropology

Penn State University

David A. Puts

 

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Office: 424 Carpenter Building

Telephone: (814) 867-0453 Fax: (814) 863-1474

Email: dap27@psu.edu

Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATION:

  • B.A., Kenyon College, 1995
  • M.A., University of Pittsburgh, 1998
  • Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 2004

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS:

Dr. Puts studies the evolutionary and neuroendocrine bases of human behavior, with special focus on the evolution and development of behavioral sex differences.

Voice: Some of the largest human sex differences—much larger than the sex difference in height—are found in the voice and its anatomical substrates.  Research topics:

  • role of sexual selection on the evolution of sex differences in the human voice
  • how voice is used in competition for mates
  • men’s and women’s preferences for the voices of potential mates

Spatial cognition: The largest cognitive sex differences in humans are found in the domain of spatial cognition.  Women are better than men, on average, at remembering the location of objects in a spatial array, whereas men tend to outperform women in tests of targeting, navigation, and imagining the appearance of objects when viewed from another angle.  These sex differences have an effect size of around 1; that is, about 80-85% of men perform below the average woman on tests of spatial location memory, and vice versa for spatial tests showing a male advantage.  Research topics:

  • effects of prenatal or early postnatal androgens on spatial ability
  • effects of pubertal sex hormones on spatial ability
  • effects of circulating sex hormones on adult spatial ability
  • domain specificity of female- and male-advantaged spatial abilities in order to elucidate their adaptive design

Other research interests:

  • Developmental and evolutionary causes of differences in sexual orientation
  • Evolutionary basis of female orgasm

COURSES TAUGHT:

  • ANTH 497 Sex and Evolution

SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS:

  • Zuloaga, D. G., Puts, D. A., Jordan, C. L., and Breedlove, S. M. (2008).  The role of androgen receptors in the masculinization of brain and behavior: What we've learned from the testicular feminization mutation.  Hormones and Behavior, in press.
  • Dawood, K. and Puts, D. A. (in press).  The genetics and ontogeny of sexual orientation. In: LGBTQ America Today, J. C. Hawley, (ed.).  Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.
  • Puts, D. A., McDaniel, M. A., Jordan, C. L., and Breedlove, S. M. (2008).  Spatial ability and prenatal androgens: Meta-analyses of congenital adrenal hyperplasia and digit ratio (2D:4D) studies.  Archives of Sexual Behavior, 37 (1): 100-111. 
  • Martin, J., Puts, D. A., and Breedlove, S. M. (2008).  Fluctuating asymmetry in the hands of homosexuals and heterosexuals: Relationships to digit ratios and other sexually dimorphic anatomical traits.  Archives of Sexual Behavior, 37 (1): 119-132.
  • Puts, D. A., Hodges, C. R., Cárdenas, R. A., and Gaulin, S. J. C. (2007).  Men’s voices as dominance signals: Vocal fundamental and formant frequencies influence dominance attributions among men.  Evolution and Human Behavior, 28 (5): 340-344.
  • Puts, D. A. (2007). Arousing Imaginations: Review of The Handbook of the Evolution of Human Sexuality, M. R. Kauth (Ed.). Binghamptom, NY: Haworth Press, 2005. Evolutionary Psychology, 5 (4): 778-785.
  • Puts, D. A.  (2007).  Of bugs and boojums: Female orgasm as a facultative adaptation.  Archives of Sexual Behavior, 36 (3): 337-339.
  • Puts, D. A., Gaulin, S. J. C., and Breedlove, S. M. (2007).  Sex differences in spatial cognition: Evolution, hormones, and the brain.  In: Evolutionary Cognitive Neuroscience, S. M. Platek, J. P. Keenan, and T. K. Shackelford (eds.).  Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, pp. 329-379.
  • Puts, D. A., Jordan, C. L., and Breedlove, S. M. (2006).  Defending the brain from estrogen.  Nature Neuroscience, 9 (2): 155-156.
  • Puts, D. A., Gaulin, S. J. C., and Verdolini, K. (2006).  Dominance and the evolution of sexual dimorphism in human voice pitch.  Evolution and Human Behavior, 27 (4): 283-296.
  • Puts, D. A., Jordan, C. L., and Breedlove, S. M. (2006).  O Brother, where art thou? The fraternal birth order effect on male sexual orientation.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 103 (28): 10531-10532.
  • Puts, D. A. and Dawood, K. (2006).  The evolution of orgasm in women: Adaptation or byproduct?  Twin Research and Human Genetics, 9 (3): 467-472.
  • Puts, D. A. (2006).  And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Response to Wallen.  Archives of Sexual Behavior,35 (6): 637-639.
  • Puts, D. A. (2006).  Cyclic variation in women’s preferences for masculine traits: Potential hormonal causes.  Human Nature, 17 (1): 114-127.
  • Puts, D. A.  (2006).  Book review: The Case of Female Orgasm: Bias in the Science of Evolution, by E. A. Lloyd.  Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2005.  Archives of Sexual Behavior, 35 (1): 103-108.
  • Puts, D. A. (2005).  Mating context and menstrual phase affect female preferences for male voice pitch.  Evolution and Human Behavior, 26 (5): 388-397.
  • Puts, D. A., Gaulin, S. J. C., Sporter, R. J., and McBurney, D. H. (2004).  Sex hormones and finger length: What does 2D:4D indicate?  Evolution and Human Behavior, 25 (3): 182-199.
  • Puts, D. A. (2003).  Human Sexuality: A Holistic Approach.  Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt.