Sexual Selection And The Natural History Of Sex Flashcards
1
Q
Why do we have sexual conflict?
A
Males adapted to manipulate and females adapted to not be manipulated (leads to evolutionary changes)
Male and female interests may differ
2
Q
Differences in males and females about sex
A
Males: Lots of offspring Not picky Fitness affected by mate quantity Little investment
Females: Picky Fewer offspring Invest more Fitness defined by mate quality
3
Q
What is intrasexual sexual selection? (5)
A
Male to male competition Not females choice Male body size dimorphism Males are aggressive Armaments (weapons)
4
Q
What is sperm competition?
A
Increase fitness as there’s more sperm in big animals.
Females mate with more males so sperm needs to be competitive
Ejaculate plugs
Bigger sperm size
5
Q
Intersexual sexual selection
A
Females choice
Arbitrary (colours eg bird feathers)
Direct benefits:
- pick males who provide
- good territory provisioning in birds
Indirect (genetic) benefits (eg peacocks)
