Choosing a mate requires a way to turn sexual arousal into sexual action. A recent paper identifies a hormone receptor that acts as a molecular gatekeeper in reproductive decisions. Focusing on mate-choice mechanisms may clarify longstanding evolutionary puzzles in sexual selection and speciation.

The objective of this research was to simulate the genetic gains expected comparing random mating strategies and mate selection by optimum contribution with different penalty levels in inbreeding rate Santa Inês sheep. theory thus applied optimize gain long term twelve groups selectively 500 females respective males, increasingly penalizing increase function. Genetic algorithms were used find [...

Literature in evolutionary psychology suggests that mate choice has been the primary mechanism of sexual selection in humans, but this conclusion conforms neither to theoretical predictions nor available evidence. Contests override other mechanisms of sexual selection; that is, when individuals can exclude their competitors by force or threat of force, mate choice, sperm competition, and other ...

Mate-choice preferences are responsible for the evolution of some of the most fascinating and conspicuous secondary sexual signals. Their evolution is generally explained by hypotheses assuming direct or indirect benefits of mate choice such as: (i) Fisherian self-reinforcement processes, (ii) indicator mechanisms (good genes hypothesis), or (iii) direct phenotypic benefits (for explanations, s...

Amcoff, M. 2013. Fishing for Females: Sensory Exploitation in the Swordtail Characin. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 1076. 43 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 978-91-554-8758-4. Mate choice plays an important role in sexual selection and speciation. The evolution of mate choice is intriguing in cases where cho...

0[ Traits that bene_t males through sexual selection are simultaneously expected to impair males by provoking costs through natural selection[ If we consider the two male _tness components\ mating success and viability\ then we may expect that the increase in male mating success resulting from a larger trait size will be counter! balanced by an increase in viability costs[ 1[ We studied the ben...

Sexual selection by female choice can maintain male traits that are counter selected by natural selection. Alteration of the potential for sexual selection can thus lead to shifts in the expression of male traits. We investigated female mate choice for large male body size in a fish (Poecilia mexicana) that, besides surface streams, also inhabits two caves. All four populations investigated, ex...

Sexual conflict is caused by differences between the sexes in how fitness maximized. These are shaped discrepancy investment gametes, mates chosen and embryos young provided for. Fish family Poeciliidae vary from completely provisioning eggs before they fertilized to providing virtually all resources after fertilization via functional equivalent of a mammalian placenta. This shift when females ...