A Mechanism of Extreme Growth and Reliable Signaling in Sexually Selected Ornaments and Weapons

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1224286
• Publication Date: 2012-07-27T20:27:38Z
• Authors: Douglas J. Emlen; Ian A. Warren; Annika Johns; Ian Dworkin; Laura Corley Lavine
• Keywords: Ornaments

Truthful Embellishments Exaggerated ornaments such as beetle horns, deer antlers, and extreme tail lengths in birds are typically assumed to be subject sexual selection because they signal the quality of an individual's breeding status—but how? Emlen et al. (p. 860 , published online 26 July) present a general mechanistic model for evolution exaggerated traits, proposing that sensitivity insulin response pathway can explain variation among individuals. The size their increased variability between individuals result traits honest signals fitness individual.