Explore sexual selection - the evolutionary mechanism that drives the development of traits that increase mating success. Learn through interactive visualizations, simulations, and detailed examples.
Sexual selection is a mode of natural selection where members of one biological sex choose mates of the other sex to mate with (intersexual selection) and compete with members of the same sex for access to the opposite sex (intrasexual selection). These two forms of selection lead to the evolution of secondary sexual characteristics that increase an individual's reproductive success.
Visualization of how one sex chooses mates based on specific traits
Visualization of competition between members of the same sex for mating opportunities
Individuals develop traits that signal genetic quality, health, or resource access.
One sex evaluates potential mates based on their secondary sexual characteristics.
Members of the same sex compete for access to mates.
Individuals with preferred traits have higher mating success.
Successful traits are passed to offspring, increasing their frequency in the population.
Enter values and click calculate to see results
Enter parameters and click calculate to see results
Sexual Selection: Favors traits that increase mating success, regardless of survival benefits.
Natural Selection: Favors traits that increase survival and overall fitness in the environment.
Sexual Selection: Traits selected by members of the opposite sex or through same-sex competition.
Artificial Selection: Traits selected by humans for breeding purposes.
Sexual Selection: Focuses on individual reproductive success through mate choice.
Kin Selection: Explains altruistic behavior that benefits relatives' reproduction.
The peacock's tail is a classic example of sexual selection through intersexual selection. The elaborate, colorful tail feathers evolved because peahens prefer males with more impressive tails, despite the tail being a handicap for survival (making the male more visible to predators and harder to escape).
Sexual Selection Principles:
Result: Males with more elaborate tails have higher mating success, passing their genes to the next generation.
Deer antlers exemplify intrasexual selection, where males compete directly for access to females. Large, elaborate antlers evolved because males with bigger antlers are more successful in fights with other males, gaining access to harems of females.
Sexual Selection Principles:
Result: Males with larger antlers have higher reproductive success through dominance over other males.
Male bowerbirds build elaborate structures called bowers and decorate them with colorful objects to attract females. This represents a complex form of intersexual selection where females choose mates based on the quality of the bower and the male's display behavior.
Sexual Selection Principles:
Result: Males with better bowers and displays have higher mating success, driving the evolution of increasingly elaborate constructions.
Save your sexual selection simulation results and visualization data for later use or analysis.
Load previously saved sexual selection simulation results or visualization data.