Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing, inherently...

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.

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective

In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...

Genetics of Speciation

Genetics of Speciation

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.The genetics of speciation involves the different traits or isolating mechanisms preventing gene exchange, leading to reproductive isolation. Reproductive isolation can be due to reproductive barriers that have effects either before or after the formation of a zygote. Pre-zygotic mechanisms prevent fertilization from occurring, and post-zygotic mechanisms...

Types of Selection

Types of Selection

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...

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the human psyche...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Interaction effects of cell diffusion, cell density and public goods properties on the evolution of cooperation in digital microbes.

Journal of evolutionary biology·2014

Same author

Mobile DNA can drive lineage extinction in prokaryotic populations.

Journal of evolutionary biology·2010

Same author

What traits are carried on mobile genetic elements, and why?

Heredity·2010

Same author

Species-level selection reduces selfishness through competitive exclusion.

Journal of evolutionary biology·2007

Same author

Resolving the tragedy of the commons: the feedback between intraspecific conflict and population density.

Journal of evolutionary biology·2007

Same author

Therapy supervision: the phenomena and the need.

Clinical nurse specialist CNS·1989

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

Kin selection and the evolution of sexual conflict.

¹Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. d.rankin@bioc.uzh.ch

Journal of Evolutionary Biology

|November 9, 2010

Summary

Kin selection, or the evolutionary interests of relatives, can reduce sexual conflict between males and females. This study shows relatedness inhibits male harm but not female resistance, offering insights into resolving mating conflicts.

More Related Videos

Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments

Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments

Published on: May 21, 2019

Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi

Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi

Published on: October 5, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments

Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments

Published on: May 21, 2019

Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi

Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi

Published on: October 5, 2018

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Behavioral ecology
Social evolution

Background:

Sexual conflict arises when males and females have differing evolutionary interests, especially concerning mating strategies.
Male competition can drive adaptations harmful to females, prompting female counter-adaptations.
Existing research on sexual conflict has largely overlooked the influence of genetic relatedness.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of kin selection on the evolution of sexual conflict.
To model the interplay between male harm, female resistance, and genetic relatedness.
To explore how relatedness influences the dynamics of sexual conflict over mating.

Main Methods:

Utilized a theoretical model based on principles of social evolution.
Incorporated genetic relatedness into models of male harm and female resistance.
Analyzed the evolutionary effects of relatedness on sexual conflict dynamics.

Main Results:

Genetic relatedness was found to inhibit sexual conflict, specifically in terms of male harm.
Relatedness did not significantly affect the evolution of female resistance strategies.
The study identified kin selection as a factor that can mitigate sexual conflict.

Conclusions:

Kin selection offers a previously underappreciated mechanism for resolving sexual conflict.
Considering genetic relatedness is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of sexual conflict in empirical studies.
This research highlights the importance of social evolution principles in understanding mating systems.