BIO120H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Sexual Selection, Parthenogenesis

• School: UTSG
• Department: Biology
• Course: BIO120H1
• Professor: Spencer C H Barrett

Document Summary

Sexual dimorphisms traits that differ between males and females of a species such as tails, colour and songs. In males, these traits seem to violate evolutionary theory since they waste time and energy and reduce survival. Darwin noticed that if traits differ between males and females of a species, the elaborate behaviors, structures and ornaments are nearly always restricted to males. Darwin was the first to recognize the trade-off that having a fancy tail/seductive song does not help you survive but may increases your chances of having offspring. Males compete for females in both types of sexual selection. Post-mating competition when females mate with more than one male over a short period of time -> has produced some of the most intriguing features built by sexual selection. An experiment that was conducted suggested that more elaborate tails are preferred by females. An experiment that was conducted suggested that females prefer males whose ornaments had not been reduced.