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12.5: Sexual selection

  • Page ID
    92864
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    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.


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