136. The World’s Most Controversial Ornithologist

Richard Prum says there's a lot that traditional evolutionary biology can't explain. He thinks a neglected hypothesis from Charles Darwin — and insights from contemporary queer theory — hold the answer. Plus: You won't believe what female ducks use for contraception. SOURCE: Richard Prum , professor of ornithology, ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale University. RESOURCES: " Stop Your Populist Grandstanding Over Wendy’s ‘Surge Pricing’ ," by Catherine Rampell ( The Washington Post, 2024). " Dynamic Pricing Tech May Brighten Retail Bottom Lines and Put Consumers in the Dark ," by Kristin Schwab and Sofia Terenzio ( Marketplace, 2024). Performance All the Way Down: Genes, Development, and Sexual Difference , by Richard Prum (2023). The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin's Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World — and Us , by Richard Prum (2017). " Duck Sex and the Patriarchy ," by Richard Prum ( The New Yorker, 2017). " Dinosaur Feathers Came before Birds and Flight ," by Richard Prum and Alan Brush ( Scientific American, 2014). " How Chickens Lost Their Penises (And Ducks Kept Theirs) ," by Ed Yong ( National Geographic, 2013). " Media Attacks Duck Genitalia Resear…