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Sexual Selection: Evolutionary Foundations

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Animal Behaviour

Abstract

There are a number of other forms of reproduction in the animal kingdom besides the gonochoristic reproduction familiar to us. These variants can be described as life history characteristics that generate certain reproductive strategies. The theory of sexual selection provides an overarching framework for analysing these and other adaptations related to reproduction, so I will first introduce its mechanisms. I will discuss sexual selection, the relationships between life history and reproduction and the determinants of sex roles. Since the dynamics of sexual selection are also influenced by a fundamental conflict between the sexes and variation in adult sex ratios, these topics complement an overview of the fundamentals of diversity and the evolution of animal reproductive strategies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Peter M. Kappeler

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  1. Peter M. Kappeler
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Correspondence to Peter M. Kappeler .

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Kappeler, P.M. (2021). Sexual Selection: Evolutionary Foundations. In: Animal Behaviour. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82879-0_8

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