Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Sexual Crosses with the Mucoromycete Phycomyces blakesleeanus
Published on: June 6, 2025
Mate choice, sexual conflict, and evolution of senescence
1Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-7223, USA. promislow@uga.edu
Abstract:
Sex-related differences in longevity are common throughout the animal kingdom. Previous studies have suggested that at least part of these differences may be due to sex-specific costs of reproduction. Recently, workers have recognized that sexual conflicts of interest between males and females may play a significant role in the evolution of sexually dimorphic traits. Here I explore the possibility that sexual conflict may explain sex-specific differences in longevity and may act as a driving force in the evolution of senescence. I present comparative evidence for this hypothesis and discuss the potential relevance of sexual conflict theory to the search for specific genes that influence longevity. One implication of a sexual conflict theory of aging is that genes that influence senescence, and in particular those that affect sex differences in aging, may evolve very rapidly and so be difficult to detect.
Related Concept Videos
Mate Choice
Natural Selection and Mating Preferences
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing, inherently...
Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
Types of Selection
Evolutionary Psychology
Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...

