title: Evolution: sex or survival.
abstract: A classic paradox in sexual selection is how sexual traits under strong directional selection maintain underlying genetic variation. A new study has found that in Soay sheep a trade-off between reproductive success and survival maintains variation in horn size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Howie
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pomiankowski
authors.forename: Alison J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cotton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006733:Horns / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D052586:Mating Preference, Animal; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012756:Sheep / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled