Sexual Selection Forces

Abstract

In this chapter, it is argued that sexual selection is not a homogenous force, but it is composed of different constituent selection forces. It is argued further that in the human species, the main forces are parental choice, male-male competition, individual mate choice, and sexual coercion. The interrelation between these different sexual selection forces is explored. This chapter argues also that the presence of different sexual selection forces translates into different reproductive niches being present. Individuals can promote their reproductive success by appealing to parents, by monopolizing access to mates by force, by appealing to opposite sex individuals as mates, and by forcing sex to members of the opposite sex. The size of each niche, and thus the prevalence in the population of the traits that address it, depends on the strength of each selection force, which in turn, is determined by environmental conditions.