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Mate Choice

Mate Choice

Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.

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Behaviors are actions that an organism engages in—they can be related to finding food, reproducing, defending against threats, and many other possible actions. Behaviors include activities related to the environment around the animal—such as migration—as well as social interactions within a species or population. Many behaviors involve motor output—that is, muscle movements—while others involve less visible actions, such as learning.

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Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...

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Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.For one, natural selection can only act upon existing genetic variation. Hypothetically, redtusks may enhance elephant survival by deterring ivory-seeking poachers. However, if there are no gene variants—or alleles—for redtusks, natural selection cannot increase the prevalence of...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid

Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid

Published on: August 8, 2017

Should we enhance animals?

¹Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation, and Centre for Social Ethics and Policy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. sarah.chan@manchester.ac.uk

Journal of Medical Ethics

|November 3, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This paper explores animal enhancement, applying ethical considerations typically reserved for human enhancement. It argues that if enhancing humans is a moral duty, enhancing animals may be too.

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Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid

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Published on: August 8, 2017

Transition of Farm Pigs to Research Pigs using a Designated Checklist followed by Initiation of Clicker Training - a Refinement Initiative

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Published on: August 21, 2021

Area of Science:

Bioethics
Animal Welfare Science
Biotechnology Ethics

Background:

Extensive bioethical discourse exists on human enhancement technologies like genetic modification.
Similar technologies are applicable to non-human animals, yet "animal enhancement" remains underexplored.
Existing ethical frameworks primarily focus on human applications, neglecting animal-specific concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce and define the concept of "animal enhancement."
To explore the ethical implications of applying enhancement technologies to animals.
To establish a framework for evaluating the morality of animal enhancement.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis of "animal enhancement."
Ethical argumentation drawing parallels with human enhancement discourse.
Development of a definitional framework for animal enhancement.

Main Results:

A definition of animal enhancement is proposed.
Ethical issues surrounding animal enhancement are identified and discussed.
A comparative ethical framework is established between human and animal enhancement.

Conclusions:

Animal enhancement warrants significant ethical consideration, mirroring human enhancement debates.
If human enhancement is a moral obligation, animal enhancement may also be.
Further research and ethical deliberation are needed on the responsible application of enhancement technologies in animals.