LIFESCI 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Allele Frequency, Assortative Mating, Genotype Frequency
Document Summary
In the context of evolution, survival means nothing if you can"t reproduce. Sexual selection: selection for a trait that increases mating opportunities and give individuals a reproductive advantage over others. Sexual selection is a positive feedback loop. Females preference for long tails male tail length. Females are often the limiting resource when it comes to reproduction. Sperm are compact, their only purpose is to deliver dna to zygote. Females begin by investing more energy per gamete. Males and females of the same species look morphologically different. Males are typically the more elaborately colored and/or ornamented sex. Sexual selection is usually what causes this. Females often invest more energy in reproduction, so they are the choosier sex (but there are exceptions) The elaborate plumage of male birds of paradise has evolved due to females mating preferentially with males that display the most impressive feathers. The is an example of intersexual selection.
