Question

Female stickleback prefer males with brighter red coloration on their belly. Given the results depicted in the graph below, it appears that females that choose redder males benefit from:

(a) sensory bias
(b) direct benefits
(c) good genes
(d) nuptial gifts

Answer 1

Female sticklebacks prefer brighter red males adhering to the good genes hypothesis in sexual selection, indicating genetic superiority that can be passed to the offspring, leading to potentially fewer but healthier offspring.

Step-by-step explanation:

The subject of the question is sexual selection in biology, more specifically, how female sticklebacks (and other species) choose their mates based on certain traits like coloration. In the context of the sticklebacks, the good genes hypothesis describes how females might prefer males with brighter red coloration as this trait could signal genetic superiority, such as an efficient metabolism or an ability to fight off diseases, which can then be passed to the offspring. When females choose these more impressively ornamented males, the likelihood is that they will have fewer, but healthier and more fit, offspring. This benefit outweighs the cost of being selective and potentially producing fewer offspring overall.