sexual selection

sexual selection
sexual selection n natural selection for characters that confer success in competition for a mate as distinguished from competition with other species also the choice of a mate based on a preference for certain characteristics (as color or bird song)

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natural selection in which certain characteristics attract male or female members of a species, thus ensuring survival of those characteristics.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Sexual selection — Sexual Sex u*al, a. [L. sexualis, fr. sexus sex: cf. F. sexuel.] Of or pertaining to sex, or the sexes; distinguishing sex; peculiar to the distinction and office of male or female; relating to the distinctive genital organs of the sexes;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sexual selection — This article is about the evolutionary concept. For the selection of the sex of offspring, see sex selection. Goldie s Bird of paradise: Ornamented male above; female below. Paradesia decora by John Gerrard Keulemans (d.1912) Sexual selection, a… …   Wikipedia

  • Sexual selection in human evolution — When Charles Darwin initially proposed his theory on sexual selection, there was considerable scepticism on its application to human evolution. More recently, the role of sexual selection in human evolution has begun to gain wide… …   Wikipedia

  • sexual selection — noun A type of natural selection, where members of the sexes acquire distinct forms either because See Also: sexual method, sexual dimorphism …   Wiktionary

  • sexual selection — noun Date: 1859 natural selection for characters that confer success in competition for a mate as distinguished from competition with other species; also the choice of a mate based on a preference for certain characteristics (as color or bird… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • sexual selection — Biol. a special type of natural selection in which the sexes acquire distinct forms either because the members of one sex choose mates with particular features or because in the competition for mates among the members of one sex only those with… …   Universalium

  • sexual selection — noun Biology natural selection arising through preference by one sex for certain characteristics in individuals of the other sex …   English new terms dictionary

  • sexual selection — sex′ual selec′tion n. bio evo the Darwinian theory that the selection of mates is based on attractive features, as coloration or song in birds …   From formal English to slang

  • sexual selection — /ˌsɛkʃuəl səˈlɛkʃən/ (say .sekshoohuhl suh lekshuhn) noun the theory, first propounded by Darwin, that the selection by some animals of attractive mates has resulted in the evolution of features which are in other respects disadvantageous …  

  • sexual selection — noun : the choice of a mate on a basis of various attractive characters (as color or bird song) …   Useful english dictionary

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