Sexual Selection

Charles Darwin described sexual selection as the mode of selection that favors traits that enhance an individual’s reproductive success. Sexual selection has shaped behavior, morphology, physiology, and cognition in many species. We will read portions of Darwin’s The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex along with current journal articles representative of the major questions in the field. Some of the topics discussed will include: mate choice, intrasexual competition, alternative mating strategies, sexual conflict, and the role of sexual selection in the evolution of the brain. Students will lead discussions and write a final paper on sexual selection. This course can be taken for Neuroscience and Biology major credit. (BIOL 0140 and BIOL 0145)