The Peacock Paradox

What confused Charles Darwin about peacocks and other elaborately ornamented organisms?

• Their ability to fly despite large tails.

• Their unusual diet.

• Their traits did not seem to improve survival.

• Their complex social structures.

What is the primary difference between natural selection and sexual selection?

• Natural selection focuses on survival, while sexual selection focuses on reproduction.

• Natural selection occurs in plants, while sexual selection occurs in animals.

• Natural selection leads to simpler traits, while sexual selection leads to complex traits.

• Natural selection is a faster process than sexual selection.

What are the two main ways sexual selection occurs?

• Predator avoidance and camouflage.

• Male competition for mates and female mate choice.

• Territorial defense and resource gathering.

• Migration patterns and hibernation.

True or False - It is possible to have certain genes for selection link over time

• True

• False

How do female peacocks influence the evolution of male peacock tails?

• They physically help males grow larger tails.

• They choose males with larger tails, leading to offspring inheriting genes for both large tails and the preference for them.

• They provide better nutrition to males with smaller tails.

• They compete with males to have the largest tails.

What is the primary reason male peacocks have large, elaborate tail feathers?

• To help them fly faster and escape predators.

• To camouflage themselves in their environment.

• To attract female peacocks for mating.

• To regulate their body temperature.

What term describes the positive feedback loop where a fancy trait and a programmed preference for that trait in the opposite sex lead to the exaggeration of the trait?

• Natural Selection

• Survival of the Fittest

• Fisherian Runaway

• Genetic Drift

What does the "Sexy Son Hypothesis" suggest about female mate choice?

• Females choose mates based on their ability to provide resources.

• Females choose mates that will produce sons who are also attractive to other females, leading to more grandchildren.

• Females choose mates that are the best at camouflaging.

• Females choose mates that are the strongest fighters.

In which of the following species are the typical roles of sexual selection reversed, with females being larger/more dominant or competing for mates?

• Peacocks

• Bowerbirds

• Hyenas

• Gouldian Finches

How does the video suggest human mating behavior is influenced?

• Only by natural selection

• Only by sexual selection

• By both natural and sexual selection

• By environmental factors alone