Why Does Sexual Selection Often Contribute to Speciation

Consistent with this, an important role for sexual selection in speciation is inferred because male secondary sexual traits and genitalia tend to evolve rapidly, are often the most divergent phenotypes among closely related taxa, and tend to be spectacularly diverse among species in several of the most iconic adaptive …

What role does sexual selection play in speciation?

In fact, a prominent review of the topic states that “the most obvious way in which sexual selection could accelerate speciation … is via increased coevolution of male traits and female preferences in allopatric populations or if traits involved in mate recognition were under direct environmental selection” (ref.

Can disruptive selection lead to speciation?

Disruptive selection can lead to speciation, with two or more different species forming and the middle-of-the-road individuals being wiped out. Because of this, it’s also called “diversifying selection,” and it drives evolution.