Sexual selection Flashcards
1
Q
Sexual selection
A
- Evolutionary explanation of partner preference
- Genes selected that promote survival (natural selection) or successful reproduction (sexual selection)
2
Q
Darwin
A
- Concept of sexual selection
- Females select males with characteristics are more likely to produce robust offspring
3
Q
Adaptive traits
A
Eg aggression
Provide an advantage for a male over competitors for reproductive rights
4
Q
Human reproductive behaviour
A
- Any behaviours which relate to opportunities to reproduce
- Increasing chances of survival of our genes
5
Q
Anisogamy
A
- Differences between male and female sex cells
- Male gametes - small, highly mobile, created continuously is vast numbers, no energy to make
- Female gametes - large, static, produced in intervals for a limited number of fertile years, sig investment of energy
- Gives rise to two types of sexual selection
6
Q
What is one consequence of anisogamy
A
- No shortage of fertile males but a fertile female is a much rarer resource
7
Q
Inter-sexual selection
A
- Between the sexes
- Preferred strategy of females
8
Q
Dimorphism
A
- Males and females end up looking very different because of intra-sexual selection
- Females don’t need to compete but youthfulness is more important
9
Q
Examples of dimorphism
A
- Men being bigger
- Women having large waist-to-hip ratio
10
Q
Intra-sexual consequences
A
- Behavioural consequences
- Characteristics that are favoured and passed on - allow men to outcompete rivals
- Include deceitfulness, intelligence and aggression
- Selection of aggressiveness in males
11
Q
Research support - inter-sexual selection + counterpoint
A
- Clark and Hatfield
- Sent male and female students across uni campus and approached other students to ask for sex
- 0% of women said yes, 75% of men said yes
- Females are choosier than males
- Males have evolved a different strategy to ensure reproductive success
- Simplistic
- Sexual strategies theory (Buss and Schmitt) - both males and females adopt similar matching strategies when seeking long-term relationships
- It is more complex and nuanced view of how evolutionary pressures influence partner preference which takes account the context of reproductive behaviour
12
Q
Research support - intra-sexual selection
A
- Support the predictions of sexual selection theory
- Buss - survey of over 10,000 adults in 33 countries
- Variety of attributes that evolutionary theory predicts are important in partner preference
- Females placed greater value of characteristics
- Men value physical attractiveness and youth more than women
- Findings reflect consistent sex differences in partner preferences and support the predictions from sexual selection theory
13
Q
Social and cultural influences underestimated
A
- Limitation
- Theories overlook influences of social and cultural factors on partner preference
- Partner preferences - develop faster than evolutionary timescales imply - due to cultural factors eg contraception
- Women’s role in workplace
- Bereczkei et al - social change has consequences for women’s mate preferences - no longer resource-oriented
- Partner preferences today - likely due to combination of evolutionary and cultural influences - any theory that fails to account for both is a limited explanation
14
Q
Sexual selection and homosexuality
A
- Cant explain preferences in homosexuality
- But homosexual preferences differ just like heterosexuals
- Lawson et al - looked at personal ads placed by heterosexual and homosexual men and women
- Preferences of homosexual men and women differ just as they do in heterosexual men and women
15
Q
Survival of the fittest
A
The best adapted to the local environment - any characteristic or behaviour that increases the chance that an individual will survive and reproduce would be passed onto future generations
