Study Questions - Sexual Selection
Readings - chapter 11
1. What are the costs and benefits of sexual andd asexual reproduction? Provide evidence that species capable of both types of reproduction take advantage of sex when variation is adaptive.
2. What is the 'Red Queen Hypothesis'? Describe an experiment that provides support for this idea.
3. How might differential investment in gametes affect adaptive mating strategies? Provide evidence.
4. Suppose males invest more energy, or have number of mates capped, as in pipefish. How does that change strategies? Explain this in terms of differences in variance of reproductive success between the sexes.
5. Intrasexual competition occurs at the level of gametes and individuals and across genrations through infanticide. What do they have in common, and why are they adaptive?
6. What is female mimicry and when is it adaptive?
7. What influences which sex is most likely to exhibit intrasexual selection? Provide an example.
8. Why should the choosey sex pick a particular partner? Consider two direct benefits.
9. Why should the choosey sex pick a "showy" or "symmetrical" partner? Describe three "good genes" hypotheses.
10. Why do sexual conficts arise? Provide an example of such a conflict, and the adaptations that occur.