Question

In the context of sexual selection, what does antagonistic coevolution refer to?

1) The fact that male genitalia sometimes pierce or tear the insides of females in ways detrimental to the females.
2) The arms races that can result as males and females compete for control over fertilization.
3) The fact that suboptimal males will sometimes trick females into mating with them by sneaking up to them and mating while the dominant males are busy fighting or mating with another female.
4) Coercion behaviors that males sometimes adopt during mating, such as tapping or stroking the back of the females, that appear to increase the chances of a female using that male's sperm to fertilize her eggs.
5) All of the above are illustrations of antagonistic coevolution resulting from sexual selection.
6) None of the above.

Answer 1

Antagonistic coevolution in sexual selection refers to evolutionary arms races between males and females, such as when traits favored for mating conflict with survival or when there's competition for mating control. Option 2) The arms races that can result as males and females compete for control over-fertilization is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of sexual selection, antagonistic coevolution refers to scenarios where opposing selective pressures between males and females lead to an evolutionary arms race. This can manifest in a range of behaviors and physical adaptations that provide reproductive advantages to one sex but may have adverse effects on the other. The correct answer to the question is option 2) The arms races that can result as males and females compete for control over-fertilization, as this most accurately captures the essence of antagonistic coevolution. Behaviors such as male physical adaptations for battling other males or for coercing females, or female adaptations to resist such coercions or to choose the best quality males, are all part of this complex dynamic.

The concept of antagonistic coevolution can be understood through examples like the peacock's tail, which is a result of sexual dimorphism and intersexual selection, where females prefer mating with males with impressive traits even if these traits may reduce the males' survival odds. This reflects the handicap principle, where elaborate male features signify the ability of those males to survive despite significant handicaps. Another example is the arms race scenario where the physical and behavioral conflicts between males (intrasexual selection) or between mating preferences of females and the strategies adopted by males to ensure their reproductive success lead to evolutionary changes in both sexes.