title: Sexual selection is a form of social selection.
abstract: Social selection influences the evolution of weapons, ornaments and behaviour in both males and females. Thus, social interactions in both sexual and non-sexual contexts can have a powerful influence on the evolution of traits that would otherwise appear to be detrimental to survival. Although clearly outlined by West-Eberhard in the early 1980s, the idea that social selection is a comprehensive framework for the study of ornaments and weapons has largely been ignored. In West-Eberhard's view, sexual selection is a form of social selection-a concept supported by several lines of evidence. Darwin's distinction between natural and sexual selection has been useful, but recent confusion about the limits of sexual selection suggests that some traits are not easily categorized as naturally or sexually selected. Because social selection theory has much to offer the current debates about both sexual selection and reproductive competition in females, it is sometimes viewed, narrowly, to be most useful when considering female roles. However, social selection theory encompasses much more than female reproductive competition. Our goal here was to provide that broader perspective.
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA. belyon@ucsc.edu
authors: Bruce E
authors: BE
authors: Lyon
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Montgomerie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D056084:Genetic Fitness; D008297:Male; D052586:Mating Preference, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012930:Social Dominance