sexual selection

selection /se·lec·tion/ (sĕ-lek´shun) the play of forces that determines the relative reproductive performance of the various genotypes in a population.

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directional selection  selection favoring individuals at one extreme of the distribution.

disruptive selection , diversifying selection selection favoring the two extremes rather than the intermediate.

natural selection  the survival in nature of those individuals and their progeny best equipped to adapt to environmental conditions.

sexual selection  natural selection in which certain characteristics attract male or female members of a species, thus ensuring survival of those characteristics.

stabilizing selection  selection favoring intermediate phenotypes rather than those at one or both extremes.

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sexual selection

n.

Selection that is driven by the competition for mates and that is considered an adjunct to natural selection.

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sexual selection,

the selection of mates on the basis of the attraction of or preference for certain traits, such as coloration or behavior patterns, so that eventually only those particular traits appear in succeeding generations. It explains the wide variety of sexual characteristics among the various species.