In-Depth Notes on Sexual Selection

Sexual Selection

It is a form of natural selection favoring traits that enhance an individual reproductive success, often involving competition and choice

Anisogamy

Gamete production: Males produce many small gametes (sperm) while females produce fewer larger gametes (eggs)

Bateman principle

The concept that in many species, males benefit more from increased mating opportunities than females, leading to greater variance in male reproductive success.

Sexual conflict

Occurs when the reproductive interests of males and females differ, often leading to opposing selective pressures.

same sex contests

Competitions among individuals of the same sex for access to mates or resources, often leading to traits that enhance fighting ability or display.

mate preferences

The criteria that individuals use to select their partners, often influenced by factors such as genetic quality, phenotypic traits, or resource availability.

Scrambles

Refers to the chaotic competition among individuals of the same sex to secure mates, often leading to unpredictable outcomes in mate selection.

Sperm competition

The competitive process between sperm from different males to fertilize the eggs of a female, influencing male reproductive strategies and adaptations.

Coercion

The use of force or intimidation by one individual to secure mating opportunities, often leading to detrimental effects on the female's choice.

Antagonistic coevolution

The evolutionary struggle between competing individuals or species, where one party's adaptations to secure mates elicit counter-adaptations in the other, often affecting sexual selection dynamics.

male- male competition

The rivalry between males for access to females, which can involve physical confrontations, displays, and other strategies to establish dominance and secure mating opportunities.

mate choice

The process by which an individual selects a mate based on specific traits or behaviors, often influencing sexual selection and reproductive success.

Direct benefits

Tangible advantages that one partner provides to another, such as resources or parental care, which enhance reproductive success and influence mate selection.

indirect benefits

Advantages gained from a mate's genetic quality or traits that enhance the fitness of offspring, rather than immediate resources or support.

indicators of genetic quality

Traits or characteristics that signal a mate's fitness and genetic superiority, which can lead to better survival and reproductive success in offspring.

Runaway sexual selection

A process in which certain traits become exaggerated in a species due to sexual selection, as preferences for those traits lead to a feedback loop that enhances their frequency in future generations, often resulting in extreme characteristics that may not confer survival advantages.

Sperm of competition

Refers to the competitive process where male sperm vie for fertilization of female eggs, influencing reproductive success and leading to adaptations in sperm traits.