Final answer:
Charles Darwin theorized that the peacock's tail is an example of the handicap principle, serving as an honest signal of male fitness despite being a survival disadvantage. The tail is thought to be advantageous in sexual selection, attracting female peafowls and ensuring greater reproductive success for males with more extravagant tails.
Step-by-step explanation:
Charles Darwin and the Peacock's Tail
Charles Darwin theorized that the peacock's tail is an example of sexual selection, which is a mechanism of evolution alongside natural selection. Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection explains how organisms change over time due to the differential survival and reproduction of individuals bearing certain heritable traits. In the case of the peacock's tail, Darwin observed that the elaborate and colorful tail does not appear to aid in survival; in fact, it seems to be a disadvantage because it makes the males more visible to predators and less able to escape from danger.
However, Darwin posited that the tail serves an important function in sexual selection, as it is attractive to female peafowl. This concept is also known as the handicap principle, where an exaggerated trait, like the large tail, serves as a signal of the male's fitness. According to this principle, only the healthiest and strongest males can survive with such a seemingly detrimental characteristic. As a result, the peacock's tail acts as an honest signal to potential mates, indicating that the male is of high genetic quality and able to overcome the handicap, thereby offering better evolutionary success for its offspring.
In essence, Darwin suggested that the peacock's tail is favored by female peafowls, leading to greater reproductive success for males that possess larger and more vibrant tails, despite the increased risks of predation. Thus, the trait is perpetuated in the population through sexual selection.