Abstract
A number of insect species and red deer possess two forms of males differing from each other in the extent of development of devices involved in competition for females. Such forms may represent genetically based alternative strategies, one form being inferior in combat but wasting little energy in developing expensive weaponry, the other form being superior in combat but burdened with great energy expenditure to achieve this superiority. The return on investment in weaponry for the latter form depends not on the absolute value of investment, but on the extent of investment relative to the other forms present in the population. Such coevolution leads to an escalation of investment in devices of male competition. This costly arms race comes to an end when those investing in weaponry are just as well off as those which have totally opted out of such investment. Such a mechanism could precisely equalize the selective advantages of the two alternatives. Such coevolution is therefore a possible mechanism for the maintenance of a genetic polymorphism.
Keywords
Investment (military)BiologyCoevolutionCompetition (biology)Mechanism (biology)Arms raceSexual selectionPopulationSexual dimorphismDirectional selectionNatural selectionEconomicsEvolutionary biologyEcologyZoologyDemography
Related Publications
Rensch’s Rule Crosses the Line: Convergent Allometry of Sexual Size Dimorphism in Hummingbirds and Flower Mites
Hummingbirds demonstrate the full scope of Rensch's rule (females larger than males in small species, males larger than females in large species). The phoretic flower mites that...
Sexual dimorphism in primate aerobic capacity: a phylogenetic test
Abstract Male intrasexual competition should favour increased male physical prowess. This should in turn result in greater aerobic capacity in males than in females (i.e. sexual...
The Risk and Intensity of Sperm Ejection in Female Birds
The way females utilize the gametes of different males has important consequences for sexual selection, sexual conflict, and intersexual coevolution in natural populations. Howe...
Temporally persistent patterns of incidence and abundance in a pollinator guild at annual and decadal scales: the bees of Larrea tridentata
A recent alternative model to conventional coevolution, the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution, posits that reciprocal selection is episodic and local, rather than persiste...
Territorial Behavior in the Cicada Killer Wasp Sphecius Speciosus (Drury) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). I
Male cicada killers (Sphecius speciosus) set up territories which are defended against intrusion by other males, other insects, and even thrown pebbles. Territory owners continu...
Publication Info
- Year
- 1972
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 106
- Issue
- 951
- Pages
- 574-580
- Citations
- 228
- Access
- Closed
External Links
Social Impact
Altmetric
PlumX Metrics
Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions
Citation Metrics
228
OpenAlex
Cite This
Madhav Gadgil
(1972).
Male Dimorphism as a Consequence of Sexual Selection.
The American Naturalist
, 106
(951)
, 574-580.
https://doi.org/10.1086/282797
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1086/282797