Cronin named her book after two organisms that gave Charles Darwin some difficult moments as he struggled with his theory of natural selection. The vast majority of ants are sterile workers, never reproducing, each always ready to engage in potential sacrifice of self for colony…
The author describes the theory and its recent development; examines models, methods, and empirical tests; and identifies many unsolved problems. Among the topics discussed are the selection and evolution of mating preferences; relations between sexual selection and speciation; …
Bright colors, enlarged fins, feather plumes, song, horns, antlers, and tusks are often highly sex dimorphic. Why have males in many animals evolved more conspicuous ornaments, signals, and weapons than females? How can such traits evolve although they may reduce male survival? …