Sexual Selection in Nature

3 Credits

Sexual selection drives some of the most spectacular, if not bizarre, traits in nature. We will explore how organisms select and compete for mates and fertilization success, and how this powerful and pervasive evolutionary force shapes sexual traits and regulates species boundaries. We will focus on the key theories in the field and discuss recent and classic research papers. This is a student-directed class: course topics and materials will be selected based on student interests and involvement. On occasion, experts in the field will be invited to class to discuss their research.