The Biology of Mating Systems and Parental Care

1/19/05

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Table of Contents

The Biology of Mating Systems and Parental Care

Some Species Get By Without It

Why Pass on Half Your Genes, When You COULD Pass on ALL of THEM?

Sex is Expensive

Sex is Dangerous

Reasons a SPECIES benefits from Sex

The “Red Queen” hypothesis

Muller’s Ratchet

Reasons an Individual Might Benefit from Reproducing Sexually

The Two Sexes May Result from an Ancient Evolutionary “Game” Played Out Millions of Years Ago

Sex Determination Mechanisms

Haploid-Diploid Sex Determination

Environmental Sex Determination

Chromosomal Sex Determination.

50% of Your Genes Come From Your Mother, 50% from Your Father.

Example: a population is 70% female and 30% male.Also, there is genetic variation for the number of male offspring a female tends to produce: some females have clutches with more males relative to females and they pass this tendency to their offspring.

The Ecology and Evolution of Mating Systems

Example of a Polygynous species:

Example of a Monogamous Species

Example of a Polyandrous Species

Example of a Non-Resource Based Polygamy System

Sexual Selection

Example of Male Competition:

Example of Female Choice

Female Choice Experiments

Sexual Selection in Widowbirds

Author: Alan Molumby