1.

Sexual selection
theory an artificial
selection theory
Sexual selection theory

• In some species of animals male are different from females Of the

same species in their morphology.
• This is due to the presence of certain specialised charecters in
males alone.
• These specialised characters or organs assist in reproduction.
• Hence they are called secondary sexual Charecters.
 The secondary sexual characters available in
animals are

ed feathers of peacock.
eer.
of colour on the body of tiger.
eard of mam.

mammals.
f birds,insects,etc.
• Theractive characters cannot explained on the basis of Natural
selection theory because these organs are exhibited by only one
sex of same species.
• If natural selection operates here,only males to be allowed to
survive and all the females will be doomed to death.hence Darvin
proposed the Sexual selection theory to explain the existence of
all these characters.
• It states that female selects males for mating.
• The selection is based on the presence of desirable qualities Or
attractive charecters.
• The males which are provided with attractive charecters are
selected by the females and given the chance to mate.
• Hence males more tend to develop more and more attractive
charecters.There is also competition among males to get the
females.
• This competition leads to fights among the males in some species
like sea lions, walruses,etc.In the fight the males with unfavorable
variations are driven away or killed.
Salient features of Sexual selection theory

• In any species,males are more numerous than females.this helps

the females to select the male.
• Males are more attractive by the development of secondary sexual
characters.
• The males which are provided with brilliant coloures,conspicuous
omamentation,pleasing behaviour,mating dances,Songs and sounds
are given more preference by the female.
• In some species there are quarrels and fight among the males for
the possession of females.
• Sexual selection operates on only one sex of the species i.e, the
males. Hence the males alone develop more desirable
charecters.But the natural selection operates on the both the
sexes equally.
• Sexual selection is concerned with reproduction wile natural
selection is concerned with the survival of the individual.
Artificial selection theory

• It is similar to another supplimentary theory proposed by Darwin.

It is similar to natural selection theory.
• In natural selection, the environment is the operative force and it
selects the animals with favourable and desirable charecters.
• In artificial selection, man selects the animals and plants with
desirable charecters.
• The desirable charecters here mean the charecters which are
useful for wildlife and human being.
• For example, production of large number of eggs by hen,the
production of more quality of milk by cow, good yield in crops, etc
are the desirable charecters.
• New se desirable charecters are obtained by the crossing different
varieteis and by careful selection of better varieteis.
• The different varieteis of domestic animals likes cows, birds, crops
and vegetables are produced by man by artificial selection.
• Darwin argued that if man can produce new varieteis by crossing
different varieteis,then there is the possibility for the formation of
new species in nature