Have you ever wondered why males and females are different? Or why animals choose mates using ornaments like colourful feathers, big horns and fancy dances? Or whether there’s any truth to the idea that women are more keen on monogamy than men?
If yes, then you have wondered about sexual selection!
Sexual selection is a theory thought up by Charles Darwin over a decade after he published On the Origin of Species. The theory of sexual selection sought to fill in some gaps left unexplained by his earlier theory of natural selection; namely, why is it that so many animals have what seem to be decorative features (like a peacock’s tail) that don’t contribute to their survival?
A century and a half later, biologists are still making exciting discoveries in the field of sexual selection. In this video, I give a brief outline of the theory of sexual selection and some newer developments in the field. The talk was written for an intended audience of 6th form students; hopefully it’s of interest to some other people as well!
Endless Forms Most Wonderful 