Darwin%26apos;s sexual selection: Understanding his ideas in context

作者：Padian Kevin^*; Horner John R

来源：Comptes Rendus Palevol, 2014, 13(8): 709-715.

DOI：10.1016/j.crpv.2014.09.001

• Sexual selection
• Sexual dimorphism
• Darwin (Charles)
• Evolution

Darwin%26apos;s writings need to be seen in their fullness, as opposed to quote-mining individual sentences without the context of his passages. Sometimes Darwin wrote at length, apparently favorably, about ideas that he subsequently undermined, replacing them with a more integrative view that reflected his own broad compass. Darwin understood that nature is not simple, that not all members of a group may have evolved under the same selective regime, and that variation of all kinds is fundamental to selection in its several forms. Sexual selection requires sexual dimorphism; it is not centred on variation within sexes but on selection for the ability to acquire mates. %26quot;Mutual sexual selection%26quot; was rejected by Darwin for every species except humans. Mating success is not a matter of mere numbers but of the transmission of the most attractive features to the opposite sex. The term %26quot;sexual selection%26quot; should only be used when one sex uses a feature not present in the other sex to attract mates or repel rivals for mates.

• 出版日期2014-12