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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...

Frequency-dependent Selection

Frequency-dependent Selection

When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.Positive Frequency-Dependent SelectionIn positive...

Asexual Reproduction

Asexual Reproduction

Asexual reproduction allows plants to reproduce without growing flowers, attracting pollinators, or dispersing seeds. Offspring are genetically identical to the parent and produced without the fusion of male and female gametes.

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.

Formation of Species

Formation of Species

Speciation describes the formation of one or more new species from one or sometimes multiple original species. The resulting species are discrete from the parent species, and barriers to reproduction will typically exist. There are two primary mechanisms, speciation with and without geographic isolation—allopatric and sympatric speciation, respectively.Allopatric SpeciationIn allopatric speciation, gene flow between two populations of the same species is prevented by a geographic barrier, like...

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...

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Sexual selection in plants and animals.

¹Mary Willson is at the Forestry Sciences Laboratory, PO Box 20909, Juneau, AK 99802, USA.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

|January 15, 2011

Summary

Sexual selection theory is now applied to plants, revealing parallels with animal reproductive strategies. Despite differing mechanisms, evolutionary insights into plant male function are emerging.

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Plant reproductive strategies
Sexual selection

Background:

Sexual selection theory has historically focused on animals.
Reproductive success via male function in plants is increasingly recognized for its evolutionary significance.
Plant reproduction shares parallels with animal sexual selection.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the application of sexual selection theory to plant reproductive processes.
To identify commonalities and differences in sexual selection between plants and animals.
To highlight the evolutionary importance of male function in plants.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of reproductive processes in plants and animals.
Review of recent research on plant sexual selection.

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Examination of proximate mechanisms and evolutionary constraints.

Main Results:

Significant parallels exist between animal and plant reproductive processes under sexual selection.
The evolutionary import of male function in plants is now widely acknowledged.
Differences in proximate mechanisms and evolutionary constraints between plant and animal sexual selection were noted.

Conclusions:

Sexual selection theory provides a valuable framework for understanding plant reproduction.
Further research is warranted to explore the nuances of plant sexual selection.
Recognizing male function's role advances our understanding of plant evolution.