Skip to main content
Library homepage
 

Text Color

Text Size

 

Margin Size

 

Font Type

Enable Dyslexic Font
Biology LibreTexts

12.5: Sexual selection

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

Sexual selection

 

 

Chapter summary

The paradox of sexual reproduction is that although it is ubiquitous in multicellular organisms, there are many disadvantages to reproducing sexually when we compare it to asexual reproduction. This chapter explores some of the multitude of hypotheses for why sexual reproduction exists, the variety of ways in which sexes are determined in plants and animals, and some of the variation in mating systems of sexual organisms. This chapter also focuses on sexual selection, a form of natural selection that occurs when traits that improve mating success are favored by selection, even if they cause a decrease in survival.


12.5: Sexual selection is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

Support Center

How can we help?