sexual selection

American  

noun

Biology.

1. a special type of natural selection in which the sexes acquire distinct forms either because the members of one sex choose mates with particular features or because in the competition for mates among the members of one sex only those with certain traits succeed.

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sexual selection British  

noun

1. an evolutionary process in animals, in which selection by females of males with certain characters, such as large antlers or bright plumage, results in the preservation of these characters in the species

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sexual selection Scientific  

1. The process by which certain organisms produce more offspring by mating more frequently than other organisms of the same sex and thereby ensure the survival of more of their genetic traits. Sexual selection is a form of natural selection in which organisms are competing not for food or other resources in the environment but for mates. The development of size difference between males and females in mammals and birds, in which the greater strength (and often aggressiveness) of larger males allows them to have greater success mating, is seen as a consequence of sexual selection. The development of secondary sex characteristics, such as colored feathers in male birds or large antlers in male deer, which are attractive to the opposite sex as signs of fitness but are not directly involved in reproduction is also attributed to sexual selection. These features are often disadvantageous to the organism's survival—the colored feathers make the male bird more visible to predators, for instance—but can provide the organism with a competitive advantage over rivals in mating. The theory of sexual selection was first proposed by Charles Darwin in The Origin of Species.

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sexual selection Cultural  

1. In evolution, the selection of a mate based on secondary sex characteristics. Sexual selection is thought to lead distinct differences in the appearance of the two sexes within a species. For example, the tail of the male peacock may be the result of sexual selection.

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Compare meaning

How does sexual-selection compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sexual selection vs. natural selection

Example Sentences

Our feelings about breasts vary culture to culture, and across time, which suggests that the permanent fatty orbs are more likely to be a curious side effect of other evolutionary changes rather than the result of sexual selection.

From Slate

The team suggests that dynamic might have been driven by sexual selection, with different populations of female horned dinosaurs developing specific aesthetic tastes that drove explosions in local species evolution.

From New York Times

The researchers noted that sexual selection -- either competition among males or preference among females for larger mates -- was likely responsible for the overall size difference between males in females, as is the case in many other large, hoofed mammals that are polygynous -- where one male mates with many females.

From Science Daily

They suggest that, following the evolution of the long neck, sexual selection -- including male body pushing and neck sparring behaviors -- may have contributed to males' wider necks.

From Science Daily

The goal is to shed additional light on mate choice and sexual selection, as well as guide conservation efforts for this endangered species.

From Science Daily