Sexual selection flashcards
This flashcard set covers key concepts and terms related to sexual selection in biology, emphasizing both the mechanisms and implications in evolutionary theory.
Quiz(40 questions)
1. What is the primary driver of sexual selection?
Terms in this Study Set(40)
Mechanisms of Sexual Selection(16)
What is sexual selection?
A mode of natural selection where individuals with certain traits are more likely to attract mates.
True or False: Sexual selection operates only in females.
False. Both males and females can be subject to sexual selection.
Fill in the blank: Sexual selection can lead to __________ in certain traits.
Sexual dimorphism, where males and females exhibit different characteristics.
What are the two main types of sexual selection?
Intrasexual selection and intersexual selection.
Intrasexual selection → characteristics?
- Competition among same-sex individuals - Often leads to larger size or weaponry in males.
Intersexual selection → characteristics?
- Mate choice by one sex - Often involves traits such as bright colors or elaborate displays.
How does courtship behavior demonstrate sexual selection?
Behaviors such as dances or displays attract mates, influencing reproductive success.
True or False: Sexual selection can increase genetic diversity.
True. It promotes traits that can enhance reproductive success among varied genetic backgrounds.
Cause → Effect: Bright plumage in birds?
Cause: Attractiveness to mates Effect: Increased likelihood of reproduction.
What role do pheromones play in sexual selection?
Pheromones are chemical signals that attract mates and can indicate genetic fitness.
Compare monogamous and polygamous systems.
Monogamous: One mate per breeding season. Polygamous: Multiple mates; often leads to greater male competition.
Examples of sexual selection in nature?
Peacock tails, deer antlers, and songbird melodies are influenced by mate choice.
What is mate guarding?
Behavior where one partner prevents the other from mating with rivals, enhancing reproductive success.
True or False: Only physical traits are involved in sexual selection.
False. Behavioral traits, like courtship displays, are also critical for mate attraction.
How does sexual selection affect male competition?
It can lead to the evolution of larger body size, weaponry, and aggressive behaviors.
Fill in the blank: The __________ hypothesis explains why females may choose mates with extravagant traits.
Handicap Principle; suggests costly traits signal genetic fitness.
Outcomes of Sexual Selection(12)
What are the long-term effects of sexual selection?
Increased adaptive traits, enhanced mate competition, pronounced sexual dimorphism, and potential speciation.
True or False: Sexual selection always leads to increased fitness.
False. While it can enhance certain traits, it may also lead to maladaptive traits due to overemphasis on specific characteristics.
Fill in the blank: Sexual selection can drive ______ among species.
divergence. Different mating preferences can lead to reproductive isolation and speciation.
Compare natural selection to sexual selection.
Natural selection focuses on survival traits, while sexual selection emphasizes traits that enhance mating success.
What is runaway selection?
A process where a trait becomes exaggerated due to preference by the opposite sex, leading to extreme traits that may not confer survival benefits.
Cause → Effect: Increased male competition leads to ______.
more elaborate male traits. This can attract more females but may also increase predation risks.
What is the role of female choice in sexual selection?
Females often select mates based on desirable traits, leading to the development of those traits in males over generations.
True or False: Sexual selection can lead to extinction.
True. If traits become too extreme, they may hinder survival, leading to population decline.
Give an example of sexual selection in peafowls.
Peahens prefer peacocks with larger, more colorful tails, driving the evolution of extravagant feather displays.
What is sexual conflict?
It occurs when the reproductive interests of males and females differ, leading to evolutionary arms races between sexes.
Outcome of sexual selection: Increased reproductive variance in males leads to ______.
greater genetic diversity. Males with desirable traits pass those traits on, increasing variance in the population.
How does sexual selection impact population dynamics?
It can lead to fluctuations in population sizes based on mating success, altering genetic structure and diversity.
Sexual Dimorphism and Traits(12)
What is sexual dimorphism?
Sexual dimorphism refers to differences in size, color, or morphology between males and females of the same species.
Give an example of sexual dimorphism.
Peacocks display vibrant tail feathers, while peahens have more subdued coloring.
True or False: Sexual dimorphism is only about size differences.
False. It includes color, morphology, and behavior differences between sexes.
Fill in the blank: Male deer often have __________ while females do not.
antlers.
How do sexual traits convey fitness?
Traits like bright coloration signal health and genetic quality to potential mates.
Compare sexual selection and natural selection.
Sexual selection focuses on mate choice and reproductive success, while natural selection emphasizes survival and adaptation.
What role do secondary sexual traits play?
They enhance attractiveness or competitiveness of one sex in mating contexts, influencing reproductive success.
Cause → Effect: Why do peacocks have elaborate tails?
Cause: Female choice for attractive traits. Effect: Enhanced mating success for males with larger, colorful tails.
What is an example of a sexual trait in birds?
Song complexity in male birds often attracts females and indicates fitness.
True or False: All species show pronounced sexual dimorphism.
False. Some species exhibit little to no sexual dimorphism.
How do sexual dimorphic traits evolve?
Through sexual selection, where individuals with advantageous traits reproduce more successfully.
Fill in the blank: In many species, __________ are brighter in males than in females.
colors.
Questions in this Study Set(40)
1. What is the primary driver of sexual selection?
2. What are the potential long-term effects of sexual selection on a species?
3. What best describes sexual dimorphism?
4. True or False: Intrasexual selection only occurs in birds.
5. True or False: Traits favored by sexual selection are always beneficial for survival.
6. Which of the following is NOT an example of sexual dimorphism?
7. Fill in the blank: Sexual selection can lead to the evolution of __________ traits in males.
8. Fill in the blank: Sexual selection can lead to reproductive ______ among populations.
9. How do male peacocks' tail feathers function in terms of sexual selection?
10. Which of the following is an example of intersexual selection?
11. How does natural selection differ from sexual selection?
12. True or False: Sexual dimorphism primarily involves size differences.
13. How does sexual selection influence male body size?
14. What does runaway selection refer to?
15. Which trait in male birds is often linked to attracting females?
16. True or False: Intersexual selection can involve non-physical traits.
17. Cause → Effect: Increased male competition typically results in ______.
18. What is the main difference between sexual selection and natural selection?
19. Which of the following species exhibits mate guarding behavior?
20. What role do females play in the process of sexual selection?
21. Fill in the blank: In many species, males are often __________ than females.
22. What is the Handicap Principle?
23. True or False: Sexual selection can contribute to species extinction.
24. What evolutionary mechanism is responsible for the development of sexual dimorphic traits?
25. Which of the following is NOT a result of sexual selection?
26. How do peahens' preferences illustrate sexual selection?
27. Which of the following is an example of a secondary sexual trait?
28. What role do vocalizations play in sexual selection?
29. What is sexual conflict?
30. True or False: All species exhibit sexual dimorphism.
31. Fill in the blank: Sexual dimorphism is often most pronounced in __________ species.
32. An outcome of sexual selection: Increased reproductive variance in males leads to ______.
33. Cause → Effect: Why do brightly colored male frogs call during mating season?
34. What does mate choice copying refer to?
35. How does sexual selection influence population dynamics?
36. Fill in the blank: Male __________ often possess traits like larger size or elaborate features compared to females.
37. True or False: Sexual selection only applies to external traits.
38. Which mechanism of sexual selection involves competition among individuals of the same sex?
39. What is the effect of sexual selection on behavioral traits?
40. Which of the following best describes intersexual selection?
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