Sexual Selection

Definition

Evolution is driven not just by the survival of the fittest (natural selection) but also by the reproduction of the sexiest (sexual selection). If an animal finds food and avoids predators but can't find a mate, the animal is an evolutionary dead end. Its genes will die out when it dies. This is why sexual selection is so important: It is the evolutionary gateway to genetic immortality. Every one of your ancestors managed not just to survive to adulthood but also to attract a willing sexual partner. Every one of your 30,000 genes has passed through thousands of generations of successful courtship, mating, and parenting. Sexual selection is another term for reproductive competition, competition to attract more high-quality mates than one's sexual rivals, to have ...