Abstract
With the help of extremely rare, well-preserved fossils, we can trace complicated sexual behaviours back to ancient armoured fishes called placoderms.
Whether it is the conspicuous and cumbersome tail feathers of a peacock or the boisterous and bloody battles of male elephant seals, sex undoubtedly comes at a cost. Finding a mate can use up a lot of energy and involves taking risks. From an evolutionary point of view, sex is not an efficient way of sharing genes, passing only 50 percent of a parent’s genetic material on to the next generation.
Whether it is the conspicuous and cumbersome tail feathers of a peacock or the boisterous and bloody battles of male elephant seals, sex undoubtedly comes at a cost. Finding a mate can use up a lot of energy and involves taking risks. From an evolutionary point of view, sex is not an efficient way of sharing genes, passing only 50 percent of a parent’s genetic material on to the next generation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Sydney Brenner's 10-on-10 |
| Subtitle of host publication | The Chronicles of Evolution |
| Editors | Shuzhen Sim , Benjamin Seet |
| Publisher | Wildtype Books |
| Chapter | 8 |
| Pages | 97-107 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9789811187186, 9789811188312 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 |