Blog Post Module 10: Reflection Prompt

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There are many different species that have adapted traits to enhance their courtship display. They display flashy morphological structures, bright colors, and associated behaviors. In most situations, the male displays the fancy morphological feature but, in some situations, the female will display the traits that are evolved. We often think of a male who is colorful or strong, they might even perform a dance, these ideas are often found in birds. It’s often thought that the male will display flashy behavior and the female will choose who is more desirable, but there are species that will do quite the opposite. There are instances where females will display colorful features and dancing behavior, just like we saw in the video.

The question to consider is how would traits like this evolve? There are a couple different aspects to consider. Reproductive success and selection are important factors in evolutionary changes. The male may find that females who display the colorful features are more fit and able to reproduce at higher rates. The female might require the male to follow her lead in the courtship to ensure he is fit and is able to pass down ideal genetics. The traits have evolved and continued through the genetic lines because of success, the more successful traits get passed on further and at higher rates. Much like the seahorse, the males in this species are the ones who give birth. The roles are reversed with sexual selection and mating. The organisms look at fitness and determine which mate would be best.

With the knowledge of sexual selection, one can formulate a hypothesis that explains why female courtship might have evolved in the species. Female courtship behavior may have evolved in the Microphis Deocata species since males are the ones who become impregnated. The females display colors and perform a dance to show their fitness and court males in sexual selection. The females have adapted the evolutionary characteristics to ensure they are ideal breeders who display strong characteristics. Fitness is key in reproduction and mates will look for the ideal characteristics to ensure the genetic lines they pass down are strong and create ideal offspring. 



Comments

  1. Victoria DayNovember 2, 2021 at 9:13 AM

    I think you have a good understanding on this and understand why the selection is there. I also thought it was just passed down through the genetic make up overtime and that is why the females is the one trying to attract and the male carries.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Haley BurnsNovember 2, 2021 at 9:51 AM

    Aren't these so funky? Proof of flashy and colorful characteristics show that they are an ideal mate to pass off their genetics! I think the fact that males are the ones impregnated greatly influences sexual dimorphism. Thanks for making this so simple to understand!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Evolution: Haley JonesNovember 2, 2021 at 12:42 PM

    Hi Madison,
    Before this blog post I had never heard of these organisms and it is so crazy to see how they use the bright colors to attract a mate. I also found it interesting that the female has less fitness stake in the mating process which would make them have to find a mate through their characteristics because the males have to be convinced to mate with them. I like how you explain that these traits are seen as the display of high fitness in the females.

    ReplyDelete

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