Sexual selection, a concept introduced by Charles Darwin in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species, is a significant element of his theory of natural selection. The sexual form of selection
| “ | ... depends, not on a struggle for existence, but on a struggle between the males for possession of the females; the result is not death to the unsuccessful competitor, but few or no offspring. | ” |
| “ | ... when the males and females of any animal have the same general habits ... but differ in structure, colour, or ornament, such differences have been mainly caused by sexual selection. | ” |
His sexual selection examples include ornate peacock feathers, birds of Paradise, the antlers of stag (male deer), and the manes of lions.
Darwin greatly expands his initial three-page treatment of Sexual Selection in the 1871 book The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex. This 900-page, two-volume work includes 70 pages on sexual selection in human evolution, and 500 pages on sexual selection in other animals. In summary, while natural selection results from the struggle to survive, sexual selection emerges from the struggle to reproduce.
| “ | The sexual struggle is of two kinds; in the one it is between individuals of the same sex, generally the males, in order to drive away or kill their rivals, the females remaining passive; whilst in the other, the struggle is likewise between the individuals of the same sex, in order to excite or charm those of the opposite sex, generally the females, which no longer remain passive, but select the more agreeable partners. | ” |
Read more about Sexual Selection: Concept, Modern Interpretation, Criteria For Reproductive Success, Example: Intersexual Selection, Exponential Growth in Female Preference, Example: Intrasexual Selection, Sexual Dimorphism, Sexual Selection As A Toolkit of Natural Selection, Viability and Variations of The Theory, In Humans, History and Application of The Theory, Criticism
Other articles related to "sexual selection, selection, sexual":
... neglected a very important factor of natural selection – warning display (known also as aposematism) ... audio, olfactory and behavioral features as sexual selection ... displays were incorrectly attributed by the proponents of sexual selection to the forces of sexual selection ...
... Sexual selection has continued to be suggested as a possible explanation for geographical variation in appearance within the human species in modern hypotheses, marriage practices are proposed as ... more likely to be completely unsuccessful in reproducing, and the result is strong selection of males for traits which are adaptive for successful reproduction ... Peter Frost, has proposed that sexual selection was responsible for the evolution of pigmentary traits of women in Northern and Eastern European populations ...
... See also Sexual selection in human evolution Evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller contends that, from an evolutionary perspective, humour would have had no survival value to early humans living in the ... human characteristics like humor evolved by sexual selection ...
... The theory of sexual selection has been used to explain a number of human anatomical features ... when it is present in other primates, may be due to sexual selection by females looking for an honest advertisement of good health in prospective mates ... However, penis size may have been subject to natural selection, rather than sexual selection, due to a larger penis' efficiency in displacing the sperm of ...
... The role of sexual selection in human evolution has been considered controversial from the moment of publication of Darwin's book on sexual selection (1871) ... Joan Roughgarden, citing many elements of sexual behavior in animals and humans, that cannot be explained by the sexual-selection model, suggested that the function of sex in human evolution was primarily social ... wearing of clothes, Darwin (and proponents of sexual selection) totally neglected another important evolutionary force, intimidation of predators and ...
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