Re:The Mate Selection Trapdoor
by bambax on Saturday November 25, 2017 @02:38AM
(#15774894)
Great article. This part is esp. insightful IMHO
> When the chuck evolved, it was lucky enough to exploit a hidden preference, but we now see it was not uniquely attractive. Many different kinds of sounds might have worked just as well; the luck of the chuck was being first.
Many secondary sexual attributes that we consider to be a major marker of a species likely evolved by accident. Females of a species may be attracted to something out of the ordinary (feathers on the head, an oddly shaped fin, etc.), and the first extraordinary trait wins.
Also, accidents happen. Male Australian beetles find empty beer bottles incredibly attractive. Or they used to, until the shape of the bottle was changed to alleviate the problem.
> When the chuck evolved, it was lucky enough to exploit a hidden preference, but we now see it was not uniquely attractive. Many different kinds of sounds might have worked just as well; the luck of the chuck was being first.
Many secondary sexual attributes that we consider to be a major marker of a species likely evolved by accident. Females of a species may be attracted to something out of the ordinary (feathers on the head, an oddly shaped fin, etc.), and the first extraordinary trait wins.
Also, accidents happen. Male Australian beetles find empty beer bottles incredibly attractive. Or they used to, until the shape of the bottle was changed to alleviate the problem.
Cf. https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2013/06/19/193493225/t...