XV.1 Sexual selection selects for individuals with greater sexual fitness

Natural selectioncomprises two main components, environmental selection and sexual selection. Environmental selection leads to the selection of individuals capable of better resisting the effects of biotic and abiotic factors in the external environment, individuals with greater viability or with greater fertility. The action of sexual selection leads to the selection of individuals with greater sexual fitness, i.e. individuals that are capable of acquiring a sexual partner more effectively than their competitors – individuals of the same species and the same sex. More effective can mean both sooner or with greater probability and also better, i.e. partners with greater viability, fertility orsexual fitness.

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The classical Darwinian theory of evolution can explain the evolution of adaptive traits only in asexual organisms. The frozen plasticity theory is much more general: It can also explain the origin and evolution of adaptive traits in both asexual and sexual organisms Read more
Draft translation from: Evoluční biologie, 2. vydání (Evolutionary biology, 2nd edition), J. Flegr, Academia Prague 2009. The translation was not done by biologist, therefore any suggestion concerning proper scientific terminology and language usage are highly welcomed. You can send your comments to flegratcesnet [dot] cz. Thank you.