41.2k views
4 votes
How did higher human qualities evolve by sexual selection? Explain the phenomenon of Neotony.

User Ray Garner
by
4.4k points

1 Answer

5 votes

By choosing certain males, their offspring will likely inherit genes that tend to increase their fitness. Males often evolve traits and displays that advertise their ability to provide direct and indirect benefits, and females evolve preferences for these traits. Neoteny is an evolutionary phenomenon describing when adults are showing juvenile properties, usually physical changes due to natural selection, where juvenile properties is showing up in adults and seems to give an evolutionary advantage of some kind.

User Steve Knight
by
5.2k points