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To increase genetic diversity and adapt-
Why sex?
ability.
What did John Maynard Smith mean by Sexual reproduction expends resources
the two-fold cost of sex? on mate search and competition.
accumulation of deleterious mutations in
What is Muller's ratchet? What is the re-
asexual populations. The analogy high-
lationship between the ratchet analogy
lights the irreversible accumulation of ge-
and genetic load?
netic load.
Describe how Mike McDonald's data Asexual populations accumulate dele-
on fungi demonstrates the differences terious alleles, leading to extinction,
in how asexual and sexual populations while sexual populations can purge them
deal with deleterious alleles. through recombination.
the need for continuous adaptation to
What is the Red Queen effect? How maintain relative fitness. In predator-prey
does it apply to predator-prey relation- relationships, it explains the evolutionary
ships? arms race where each evolves to out-
pace the other.
How did Curt Lively's work on snails in coevolution between snails and their par-
New Zealand demonstrate a Red Queen asites led to a continuous arms race,
effect? maintaining genetic diversity.
What is sexual selection? What is the re-
selection of traits based on their appeal
lationship between sexual selection and
to mates.
natural selection?
What were the five main topics gleaned
Variation, inheritance, selection, time,
from Darwin's "Descent of Man" book
and artificial selection.
from 1871 (i.e. Darwin's dilemma)?
form of sexual reproduction wherein
What is anisogamy? males and females produce sex cells, or
gametes, of different sizes.
Exaggerated traits often play a role in
If natural selection underlies adaptation,
sexual selection, where they enhance re-
why are there exaggerated traits that
productive success despite potential sur-
seemingly decrease survival?
vival costs.
,Explain how the limitations on reproduc- Females typically have a limited number
tive success generally differ between the of eggs, while males can produce many
sexes? sperm.
the resources and effort parents devote
What is parental investment / parental
to offspring, including care, feeding, and
care?
protection.
inability to determine the true father of
What is meant by uncertain paternity? offspring, often leading to males invest-
ing in offspring they might not have sired.
ratio of sexually active males to females.
What is the operational sex ratio (OSR)?
It varies from the sex ratio due to factors
How is it different from the sex-ratio?
like mate availability and receptivity. Un-
Why is looking at the OSR important for
derstanding the OSR helps predict the
studies of sexual selection?
intensity of sexual selection.
The fundamental difference in reproduc-
What is meant by the fundamental asym- tive investment between males and fe-
metry of sex? males, leading to differences in mating
behavior and strategies.
Competition between individuals of the
What is intrasexual selection?
same sex for mating opportunities.
Selection based on traits that attract
What is intersexual selection?
mates of the opposite sex.
What is the difference between orna- Ornaments are traits that attract mates
ments and armaments and how do they (intersexual), while armaments are
relate to intrasexual and intersexual se- weapons used in competition (intrasexu-
lection? al).
How does the variance in reproductive Higher variance in reproductive success
success influence the strength of sexual leads to stronger sexual selection, typi-
selection on males and females? cally affecting males more than females.
If we know the variance in reproductive
In species with high variance, males of-
success in a species, what can we often
ten compete intensely for mates, while
predict about the relationship between
females are more selective.
males and females?
What can we learn from elephant seals?
red deer?
, Both species exhibit intense male-male
competition and demonstrate the effects
of sexual selection on male traits.
Choosy individuals can select mates with
What are the benefits of being choosy? desirable traits, leading to higher-quality
offspring.
Direct benefits are immediate advan-
tages gained by choosing a particular
What are direct benefits?
mate, such as access to resources or
parental care.
access to food or territory, enhanced off-
Give examples of direct benefits spring survival, or reduced risk of preda-
tion
one partner consumes the other during
What is sexual cannibalism?
or after mating.
Females typically invest more in off-
spring and benefit more from selecting
In general, why are females choosy and
high-quality mates, while males compete
males showy?
for mating opportunities to maximize re-
productive success.
Choosy females can select mates with
What are the benefits to females for be-
desirable traits, leading to increased off-
ing choosy?
spring fitness and survival.
What are the relative benefits to female Males with long eyestalks may indicate
stalk-eyed flies for choosing males with better genes or health, leading to high-
long eyestalks? er-quality offspring for females.
preference for certain traits based on
pre-existing sensory mechanisms. It can
What is a sensory bias? What is the role
drive the evolution of exaggerated traits
of sensory bias in sexual selection? Give
in males to match female preferences,
examples (e.g. guppies & swordtails)
as seen in guppies and swordtails where
females prefer colorful males.
It's because they look very similar there's
Why do blue-footed boobies look similar
no disparity in their strength and they
and perform a mutual courtship display?
have a mutual preference for each other