Rival's Phenotypes

Sexual selection also suggests that females prefer males who have a strong jawline and prominent cheekbones. These characteristics arise because of a strong presence of testosterone which also helps to indicate

This essay aims to show a comparison between the differences between both female short-term mating strategies and female long-term mating strategies. It will explore the evolution of psychology that has shown reasons for human mating and how these reasons go above and beyond the general idea of physical attractiveness and love. This essay will identify how mate preferences have evolved and further identify psychological mechanisms that women have used to select their mates over the past. This essay will compare and critically discuss the differences and outline them between female short-term mating strategies and female long-term mating

Although sexual selection may seem like natural selection, they both happen to have different features that separate them from one another. Sexual selection involves dominance and competition between organisms. Furthermore, it deals with the attractiveness some traits hold when drawing attention to other mates. A common example is that of the peacock and its vibrant feathers. The peahens are attracted to flashy feathers that the peacock flaunts, and they will eventually choose the mate that displays itself as the most extravagant. Ultimately, they will procreate and the peacock will pass on the trait involving his feathers since he was chosen as a mate.

Riann Anderson and Madison Lash based their presentation of an article titled, Female Guppies with Bigger Brains Pick more Attractive Guys. The article hypothesized that the females with the bigger brains would choose males with the larger fins, more color, and one with the elaborate dances. “In order for you( in reference to the female guppies) you have to have a level of large brain power”, said Lash. The idea of females choosing the more attractive male correlates to the scientific concept of sexual selection, the idea that mates choose particular traits because those will help them in the environment. A great deal of the females with bigger brains wanted the more attractive mates, because essentially the more aesthetically pleasing males

Heterozygotes, which have the wild type phenotype, have normal sight which gives them the advantage of finding a mate and have a better success with attracting a mate with their courtship song (Kyriacou et al, 1978). The male heterozygous Drosophila had a better advantage at mating than the homozygotes, which were the ebony, and therefore we predict there will be more wild type by the end of the experiment.

AH4: That male brightness is determined by a combination of predation, geographical isolation and/or sexual selection, predicting that two of the previous hypotheses are supported.

Unlike natural selection, sexual selection does not adapt individuals to the environment, but it enhances mate acquisition. It also explains how sexually desired traits may have fuelled the fire of rapid organism development. Some of the traits acquired give either negative or positive results. Negative results can even lead to extinction, but positive results can lead to elaborate change that brings about a stronger and better species. Darwin theory of sexual selection observed that female are the limiting sex and most of them are unavailable for sex as they are pregnant or caring for young one. Since male tends to be in excess, they develop ornaments to attract female or engage each other on male contests.

In this chapter, Orr and Zuk explains the importance of ornaments of males and the mechanism behind sexual selection. The questions that they seek to answer involve the fact that why are the males fighting during mating season, and the ones with the colorful ornaments. In both human and animal relationship, there are many similarities, such as the fact that the male fights for the female such as their masculinity or traits that females look for whether an animal or a human. Darwin in The Origin explained that sexual selection involves competition, but for mating instead of fighting for survival, in The Descent went on to explain the relevance of the traits like the peacock tails.

This result is not very clear, since the purpose of the outcome does not suggest whether the use of space is correlated with environmental factors shaping mating

It is extremely beneficial, mostly to females, to be choosy. Being choosy is a major element of sexual selection because by choosing the male with the most desirable traits, the offspring of the female end up benefiting due to receiving the best genes possible. Species that are very closely related are more likely to evolve resilient species discrimination due to the emphasis of preferences amongst mates. The cost of fitness of heterospecific matings have been thought to be higher in the females than in the males. The reason being that the females are investing more resources into the offspring where as the males are not, so if the females happen to mate with the wrong species and all of the offspring die or become sterile, this ends up being a huge waste of resources for females as opposed to males who would not being losing out on much at all. A consequence of the higher cost of fitness for heterospecific matings would be that females are more likely to show stronger species

Researchers have developed a mathematical model that made made a shocking prediction. Animals with ornamentation, males with evolve out of the tension between natural selection and sexual selection into two distinct subspecies. The first is with flashy and costly ornaments but it attracts mates better and the second low cost ornaments. In many animals they separate into two subgroups, one showy and one subdued, with very few in the middle. The contrast gives the more ostentatious individual's physical distinction, helping wow mates and promote themselves.

146) with regards to tails lengths, color, shape size and structure. These traits are costly as they affect only one sex and prove to be harmful for survival, an example is the male red-collard widowbird with tail feathers twice as long as its body and struggles to fly with his tail flopping behind (Coyne 2010). However, Coyne (2010) clarifies, “the currency for selection is not really survival, but successful reproduction. Having a fancy tail or a seductive song doesn’t help you survive, but may increase your chances of having offspring” (Coyne 2010 p. 148). Although Coyne’s explanation made understanding this topic a little easier, it seems that some male species are doomed for a short life. My question is why? What sets them apart? Surely having more than one off spring is desirable for that species. Does it go beyond mating and reproducing? Coyne (2010) explains that the choosy female is the underlying explanation for dimorphism but it seems insufficient, even Darwin didn’t have that answer.

One aspect that surprised me the most was the claim that men are able to persuade women with their looks, not only because women can be attracted to men but men, essentially, compete with each other. With characteristics like a deep voice, beards, and robust faces; men can effectively intimidate other men in hopes of finding a mate to pass on their genes. I always thought this had to do with attraction, it never crossed my mind that we, humans, took part in this type of competition. Citation #40 can be linked to this because it talks about how having a deeper voice in males may lead women to think men have “good genes” and who would be good fathers - the paper describes it as “paternal investment.” Additionally, men with lower voices can be seen as more dominant to those whose voices are higher in pitch (citation #42).

They were testing the preference for human male body hair changes across the women’s menstrual cycle and menopause because they believe that body hair plays an important role in the actual mate choice, also, it’s a traditionally known as a symbolic of masculinity and a reliable indicator of heritable components of male quality (Rantala 1-2). With all these reasons, human male body hair represents the level of testosterone, strength of immune defense, healthiness and the indication of “good genes” for their offspring.

The persistent desire to attract the opposite sex by both men and women has led to more discoveries in the pheromone industry.