Sexual conflict

Abstract

Evolutionary conflict arises from differences in the fitness interests of replicating entities and has its roots in relatedness asymmetries. Every replicator is related to itself by 100%, but in most cases is less related to other replicators, which generates selfishness and conflicts of interest. Since this basic condition is the norm at many levels of biological organization, conflict is rife in biological systems. Sexual conflict, on which we focus here, is the evolutionary conflict that occurs between males and females because of their divergent fitness interests. Sexual conflict occurs despite sexual reproduction requiring some level of cooperation between males and females because the fitness interests of the sexes are nevertheless never perfectly aligned. In other words, males and females may agree on where they are going, but not necessarily on how to get there. Sexual conflict is a vast topic with relevance to many areas of biology and so here we restrict our focus to matters we think are of broadest interest.