Sexual selection Knowledge-Based Download PDF

Questions

1. 1.

   Which model of sexual selection proposes that a female mating preference becomes genetically correlated with the alleles conferring an exaggerated male ornament, driving a rapid, self-reinforcing co-evolutionary escalation of both the trait and the preference?

   • A) The handicap principle
   • B) The sensory exploitation model
   • C) The Hamilton-Zuk parasite hypothesis
   • D) The Fisherian runaway process
2. 2.

   In evolutionary biology, what fundamental biological asymmetry typically explains why one sex experiences stronger sexual selection and higher variance in reproductive success than the other?

   • A) Genetic drift acting exclusively on male-inherited chromosomes during population bottlenecks
   • B) Stabilizing natural selection acting equally on primary sex characteristics across both sexes
   • C) Disruptive ecological selection favoring identical optimal foraging strategies between males and females
   • D) Anisogamy, characterized by differential parental investment beginning at the level of gamete size and energy cost
3. 3.

   Which of the following evolutionary phenomena represents a form of intrasexual selection that operates at the physiological or gametic level?

   • A) Nuptial gift presentation during pre-copulatory courtship
   • B) Sperm competition between ejaculates from rival males within the female reproductive tract
   • C) Sensory exploitation of female perceptual biases during partner assessment
   • D) Female preference for symmetrical morphological ornaments in prospective mates
4. 4.

   In evolutionary biology, how can an exaggerated morphological trait that decreases an organism's probability of survival be favored and maintained by sexual selection?

   • A) It increases the survival rate of the organism's non-reproductive relatives through kin selection.
   • B) It triggers targeted genetic mutations that actively neutralize the environmental hazards faced by the organism.
   • C) It equalizes the adult sex ratio across the population to reduce overall intraspecific competition.
   • D) It confers a mating advantage that yields a net reproductive output exceeding its viability cost.
5. 5.

   Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies intersexual selection operating within a population?

   • A) Female birds of paradise actively select mates based on the symmetry and brightness of male courtship plumage.
   • B) Male bighorn sheep engage in physical ramming contests to establish territory and monopolize access to females.
   • C) Tree frogs develop cryptic green skin pigmentation to avoid detection and predation by foraging birds.
   • D) Seed-eating finches evolve deeper, sturdier beaks in response to prolonged drought favoring hard-shelled nuts.