Evolution

 

  Learning about sexual selection and its role in shaping animal traits has provided both reinforcement and new perspectives on my previous understanding. I already knew that traits like a peacock’s tail or a stag’s antlers evolved to improve reproductive success, but diving deeper into the mechanisms of intrasexual and intersexual selection has clarified the nuances. For instance, understanding how male competition (intrasexual selection) directly influences traits like size and aggression, while female choice (intersexual selection) drives the evolution of elaborate displays, helped connect the dots between behavior, ecology, and evolution. What surprised me, however, was the extent to which sexual selection can sometimes work against survival traits. For example, I hadn’t considered that features like a lion’s mane or a bird’s vibrant plumage might make individuals more vulnerable to predators or environmental challenges. This contradiction between survival and reproduction adds...