I ran across an article on Scientific American called, "The Scent of Your Thoughts". It is about a college student who made a comment around researchers that women's menstrual cycles sync up the same way mice sync their ovary cycles. The researchers gave her a scorned look. Of course this was in the 1960's, and I can almost be sure that all of the researchers were men.
Now that it is years later, technology has greatly advanced, but I still believe the college student was correct. I believe this partly due to science and partly due to personal experience.
The science side- evidence has suggested that humans unknowingly release chemicals to other humans that release messages. These "chemical messages" are commonly seen to carry over to family members or close friends. So, who is to say that the chemical messages cannot relate to ovulation cycles or menstrual cycles? There is no study saying that they do or do not relate.
The personal side- in high school, I was the only one in my main group, of about four friends, that was on birth control. After about three months of me being on it, my friends and I all had our menstrual cycles within a week of each other. Since my periods were controlled, I was like the base to which my friends' cycles were able to link up to. How were they able to do that? Our bodies had to be communicating somehow other than talking.
With personal experience and science news, I honestly believe that females have the ability to sync on ovulation and menstrual cycles due to the release of chemicals in their bodies that communicate to other females. Furthermore, scientists are now trying to decode compounds released by humans to see what role they are playing or what message they are sending. I am sure most females will agree with these findings, males... maybe not.
Here is the link to the post in Scientific American:
"The Scent of Your Thoughts" Post
Hey Mariah: The question is even more intriguing than you may have guessed. This article examines the basis for the presumption that human females are capable of synchronization of menstrual cycles. Maybe a starting place for your next blog post?
ReplyDeleteI plan to refer back to this blog if I ever stumble across more articles that relate/extend on to this topic.
DeleteI have read that there is a release of chemicals that women put off during their menstrual cycles that are signals for mating. If there is a chemical signal for mating, wouldn't that be a signal for other women to try to compete is the mating feild as well, causing their menstraul cycles to start?
ReplyDeleteI would think so. After all, we are a competitive species just like most others; so, why would we chemically be any different than other species that show this trait?
DeleteI'm sure that this has been around for a while, but have you ever thought about what this actually means from an evolutionary stand point? I mean, our bodies are amazing pieces of art, they do a lot of things that we ultimately have no control over. It makes you wonder why? Why would evolution want our cycles to be synced? What advantage does it give us woman? It really does make you wonder.
ReplyDeleteIt does make me wonder what advantage it gives us. Going off of Dawn's post, it would almost be disadvantageous for all of us to be synced causing competition to be super high. At the same time, competition naturally happens in nature all the time. Maybe this is nature ultimately having power over our bodies, from a competitive standpoint, whether we want it to or not?
DeleteIn regards to the competition ideas, aside from its mentioned disadvantage of competition, couldn't this also relate to a tribe-like primitive situation? If multiple women of a group were ready to mate at the same time, and as a result produced offspring, this could stem from a more primitive idea that the women could raise their young together, teaching them as they grow up alongside one another the ins and outs of their society. This could also be in such a way to ensure the next generation has a similar grouping of individuals to mate within and so on. Maybe not a molecular idea anymore, but an evolution-based thought?
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good point. Now, it may be that researchers are trying to give a possible explanation for evolution through the molecular reasearch involved. Who is to say which explanation of evaluation will be right though?
DeleteLauren brings up an interesting point since, from my personal standpoint, the syncing does seem to occur only when I around a group of women that are close to me and once being around each other daily for a long time. This tribe-like situation would indicate that it wouldn't be considered much of a disadvantage to be competitive but part of life and a way to feel a tighter bond with certain individuals vs. others. In addition, what caught my eye about your blog Mariah is the mentioning of the "chemical messages." I feel this has to have more scientific evidence behind because it can be seen in couples as well or even best friends. It's almost as if telepathically we can communicate thoughts with each other without having to say anything. These "chemical messages" have to have some sort of influence on this.
ReplyDeleteThat's what made it catch my eye too- the chemical messages. I agree that it is almost telepathic-like phenomena that allows this to happen. Not only with just women either... Like you said, couples too. I've seen a couple of my friends' spouses have sympathy symptoms during pregnancy. Something has to allow the male's body what is going on with the female's body.
DeleteI think Lauren brings up a valid point of thinking big picture, why would it be ideal for women to all be fertile at the same? At one point in time it would have been ideal for women to have and raise their children at the same time to stress the teaching opportunities that Lauren discussed. It's much easier for a child to learn and grown when playing with children their own age.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the downfalls to females being fertile at the same time? Present day some teenagers form pregnancy pacts, primarily best friends who's cycles have linked up, and they can all get pregnant, and raise their children together. It's not needed for females to have their kids all at the same time because school systems will provide a place for kids to interact with their own age. What would have been a downfall in a more primitive time? Woman relied on other woman to help them through the pregnancy, during delivery and after. Having the possibility of multiple pregnancies at one time can affect the availability of other women.
You also make a good point along with everyone else. You pretty much sum up all of the comments into a basis that throughout the years, women's cycles syncing has always happened with advantages and disadvantages. With that being said, I believe it will always have its advantages and disadvantages as it continues to happen.
Delete