Sexual selection in males and females.
Research on sexual selection shows that the evolution of secondary sexual characters in males and the distribution of sex differences are more complex than was initially suggested but does not undermine our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms involved. However, the operation of sexual selection in females has still received relatively little attention. Recent studies show that both intrasexual competition between females and male choice of mating partners are common, leading to strong sexual selection in females and, in extreme cases, to reversals in the usual pattern of sex differences in behavior and morphology.
Clutton-Brock
Tim
T
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK. thcb@cam.ac.uk
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D049628:Body Size; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D008297:Male; D052586:Mating Preference, Animal; D012098:Reproduction; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012744:Sex Ratio