Sexual Selection Vs Natural Selection

Natural selection forms the foundation of how we understand the ways that species have formed over time. Another form of selection is sexual selection, which is the selection of traits based on their roles in courting and mating. It involves attracting a mate with the greatest fitness while simultaneously portraying oneself as the best mate for selection. Fitness, described in natural selection, is the ability to reproduce and leave successful offspring that will continue the cycle. Sexual selection can occur by contest or by choice (intra-sexually or inter-sexually, respectively). Sexual selection by contest involves competition against other individuals of the same-sex, while sexual selection by choice refers to selection for members of the opposite sex.
Variations in species can also be attributed to selecting traits for more successful reproduction. In intrasexual selection, males competing with each other for a mate will develop physical characteristics to assert their dominance over competitors. In intersexual selection, females selecting for males in a
Sexual selection pressures in females include choosing for competitive ability and genetic quality in mates. This is why male mating calls attract females because they use the calls as determinants for selection. At least 3 reasons may explain why females prefer high calling rates: 1) High rates may act as a superstimulus of a behavior that may have originally functioned for specific recognition. 2) Other callers are less likely to mask callers with higher rates. 3) High call rates are a function of energetic investment and can indicate male condition. Other measures of high energy content in vocal signals may include call duration and call complexity, or repertoire size (Delgado 2006). This is an affirmation of intersexual selection in