It has long been claimed that Homo sapiens is the only species that has language, but only
recently has it been recognized that humans also have an unusual pattern of growth and …

▪ Abstract The extent and diversity of sexual dichromatism in birds is thought to be due to the
intensity of current sexual selection on the plumage ornamentation of males and females …

Species are the fundamental units of biology, ecology and conservation, and progress in
these fields is therefore hampered by widespread taxonomic bias and uncertainty …

A new voice in the nature-nurture debate can be heard at the interface between evolution
and development. Phenotypic integration--or, how large numbers of characteristics are …

Ornaments used in courtship often vary wildly among species, reflecting the evolutionary
interplay between mate preference functions and the constraints imposed by natural …

Papers on sexual selection often highlight the incredible diversity of sexually selected traits
across animals. Yet, few studies have tried to explain why this diversity evolved. Animals use …

The peacock spider, Maratus volans, has one of the most elaborate courtship displays in
arthropods. Using regular and high-speed video segments captured in the lab, we provide …

In socially monogamous species, extra–pair paternity can increase the variance in
reproductive success and thereby the potential for sexual selection on male ornaments. We …

Whether sexual selection acts as an “engine of speciation” is controversial. Some studies
suggest that it promotes the evolution of reproductive isolation, while others find no …

Bird song is usually regarded as an attribute of males. However, in some species, females
may also produce songs even with comparable complexity to that of males. It has been …