Dynamic affairs–could be if we let it!

Abstract

The aim of our opinion paper was to highlight the potential importance of fluctuating selection and phenotypic plasticity in the evolution of sexual traits, topics that have been fundamental for understanding how non-sexual traits evolve [ 1 Cornwallis C.K. Uller T. Towards an evolutionary ecology of sexual traits. Trends. Ecol. Evol. 2010; 25: 145-152 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (229) Google Scholar ]. Safran et al. [ 2 Safran R.J. et al. Sexual selection: a dynamic state of affairs. Trends. Ecol. Evol. 2010; 25: 429-430 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (7) Google Scholar ] state that they disagree with aspects of our contribution, advocating that business should continue as usual with respect to empirical research, but what is ‘urgently required’ is ‘the development of new theoretical models’. In our paper we tried to highlight that we think new theory is important by stating ‘we need more explicit theory’ in the first point of the discussion and concluding with a call for the ‘joint progression of theoretical and empirical studies’ [ 1 Cornwallis C.K. Uller T. Towards an evolutionary ecology of sexual traits. Trends. Ecol. Evol. 2010; 25: 145-152 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (229) Google Scholar ]; it would be a shame to have new models without new data to test their predictions. It therefore seems that Safran et al. [ 2 Safran R.J. et al. Sexual selection: a dynamic state of affairs. Trends. Ecol. Evol. 2010; 25: 429-430 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (7) Google Scholar ] agree more with our perspective than they disagree. However, some of Safran et al.’s [ 2 Safran R.J. et al. Sexual selection: a dynamic state of affairs. Trends. Ecol. Evol. 2010; 25: 429-430 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (7) Google Scholar ] other remarks indicate to us that their perspective might perhaps obscure the development of such a theoretical framework, and so making a few additional remarks on their response might be worthwhile.