Sexual selection

Sexual selection is the theory that competition for mates between individuals of the same sex (typically males) drives the evolution of certain traits. Within a species, one sex (typically females) acts as a limiting resource for the other (typically males). Competition over the limiting sex results in sexual selection. It is distinct from ecological selection which is the competition for other limiting resources within the species' ecological niche.

History and application of the theory

The theory of sexual selection was first proposed by Charles Darwin in his book The Origin of Species. A later book, The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex dealt with the subject exhaustively. Alfred Russel Wallace, a co-discoverer of the principle of natural selection, while allowing for the role of male-male competition, steadfastly argued against the possibility that female choice had any significant force.

Related Topics:
Book - The Origin of Species - The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex - Alfred Russel Wallace

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The sciences of evolutionary psychology and sociobiology study the influence of sexual selection in humans, though this is often a controversial field. The field of epigenetics is broadly concerned with the competence of adult organisms within a given sexual, social, and ecological niche, which includes the development of mating competences, e.g., by mimicking adult behavior.

Related Topics:
Evolutionary psychology - Sociobiology - Epigenetics

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