title: Bird song, sexual selection and female choice.
abstract: Male songbirds produce extremely elaborate songs, which are the acoustic equivalent of the peacock's tail. Darwin suggested that they were the result of sexual selection by female choice, but had no evidence to support his theory. New techniques now permit us to test his theory under controlled laboratory conditions. When linked to studies of reproductive success in the field, the results suggest that Darwin was right.
authors.affiliation: Clive Catchpole is at the Department of Zoology, Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, Egham, Surrey TW20 OEX, UK.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Catchpole