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Jumping Spider Dances: Summary
Let's summarize what's been covered.
- Sexual selection is a form of natural selection in which individuals
of the same sex differ in their ability to gain matings or choose partners.
- By definition, males produce many tiny gametes (sperm) whereas females
produce few large gametes (eggs).
- Hence, females devote a greater proportion of their resources to each
egg than males do to each sperm.
- Bearing and caring for young often add to the cost of each gamete
for females.
- Usually, the male maximizes his fitness by gaining as many matings
with as many different females as possible.
- Females usually maximize their fitness by choosing the best sperm
donor.
- The "operational sex ratio" is the ratio of fertile, available
females to males (as opposed to all individuals in the population).
- In nature, operational sex ratios are often male-biased.
- This means that males compete for females, and females can choose
among males.
- In jumping spiders, males compete with colorful ornamentation and
complex dance behaviors. Females are usually drab in coloration.
- Research at the University of Arizona has shown that populations of
one species isolated on mountaintops are evolving into different species
through sexual selection on male appearance and behavior.
End of Jumping Spiders module.
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