Question

discusse, the males of some species have ornaments or characteristics that lower fitness in some ways, but are attractive to females. For example, some birds have showy tails that make them more vulnerable to predators, but they increase their reproductive success. Which hypothesis do you find most plausible about why females might prefer such handicaps? Why do you favor this hypothesis? (This hypothesis could be one that we discussed in class, or it could be another one that you can think of on your own. Also, multiple hypotheses might be true in different situations; name the one you think might be most common or might be operational in a certain species that you are familiar with. If you are thinking of a specific species, explain which one. You don’t have to be correct on this, just reasonable and thoughtful.)

Answer 1

Charles Darwin proposed the theory of natural selection,but some processes/events happening around us cannot be explained using this theory.Such an example is the case of peacock(male).The male members of this bird family possess very beautifull tails ; which the female members are devoid of ; and the reason for these beautifull tails cannot be explained by the theory of natural selection.

Several scientists put forwared several theories to explain this trait in peacock,one of them is fishers " runaway selection hypothesis .He explains that the reason for such characters may have started with a slight change in males with the female preference when the trait first appeared,later as the time passed colud have developed like this.Fisher was not able to give a complete satisfactory anwer for all the doubts regarding this.

Later , in 1970 ;